Together, They Protect Her
by Spuffy-obsessed
Summary: Buffy lives with her best friend and her uncle after the death of her mother but, after a horrific ordeal, they move from L.A. to Sunnydale where Buffy meets Spike, local reforming badboy, who is captivated by Buffy. In depth summary inside
1. Chapter 1 Nightmares and New Home

**Summary**

AU. ALL HUMAN. Buffy Summers and Faith Giles have been best friends since they were in kindergarten. They took care of the other as if they were sisters. At the age of 12 Faith was given custody over to Rupert Giles, her uncle. A year later so were Buffy and her younger sister Dawn. After Faith gets expelled from their old school in L.A..Giles takes the job of working at the highschool in Sunnydale and moves the four of them to get a fresh start. Faith and Buffy make a pact to never allow anyone to mess with them ever again. Spike Thorndale, the sexy bad boy of Sunnydale High takes great interest in the duo, he gets greater attraction for the blonde. Will Faith allow Spike to get close to Buffy in order to protect her almost like a sister? Or will Spike prove that he too can protect the fiery yet very innocent buffy Summers? _Warning: Attempted Rape in a few chapters and many flashbacks throughout the whole story_

**Chapter 1 Nightmares and a new home**

Feeling her breath catch in her throat, she just hoped that in this instant she would wake up. This was just a dream that is all it was. Her subconscious screamed, Time to wake up Buffy! You have had this nightmare before, you know you might as well awaken now before relieving the memories Turning her head away Buffy tried not to look at the giant body hovering over her. If she looked then he would be there. She would have to admit that he was real in her nightmare and that she had not fully moved on. So many people thought she had, but she hid it well.

Buffy let out a scream that pierced through the silence not expecting a reaction so soon from him. The back handed slap that he gave her seemed to echo on forever, leaving her silenced. His hand burned into her skin.

"No ones going to hear you, you bitch!" His cold voice sent chills down from the back of her neck and to the tips of her toes. The same large hand that had given her the hurtful slap came to tangle itself into her golden hair. He raised her higher with a jerk as much as the her bindings to the bed could allow. "Your mine! You will always be mine." By the harsh treatment he was giving her, Buffy finally let the tears that threatened to fall over, spill down her cheeks. He jerked on her hair harder making Buffy sob out.

"Please don't hurt me." She cried out repeatedly. Getting sick of her pleas, he tossed her upper body back onto the bed.

"I think I'll have the fun that I deserve first. This time there won't be any interruptions." Slowly he climbed up her body until he fully lay over her small frame. Quickly her legs lashed out in hopes of kicking him off her but failed miserably when he pinned them with his own knees.

"You're a sick bastard!" Buffy screamed out in furry. No way would she let him win. Yes, she had shown weakness by crying, but now she was ready to fight. This was the fight for her dignity and maybe even her life.

Buffy Summers awoke with a jolt nearly hitting her head on the car window of the backseat she sat in. She gasped loudly and rolled down the window trying to calm herself with the fresh air. She closed her eyes while still trying not to remember her nightmare. _Ha! Nightmare if only_ Her "nightmare" had been plaguing her sleep ever since that one night. The night like many others in her past that had changed her life.

"Hey B! You okay?" Buffy turned her head slowly towards the brunette who sat in the front seat staring at her carefully. Her best friend, Faith Giles. Her savior. They were so close with each other she was like a sister to Buffy. Giving Faith a weak assuring smile, Buffy nodded.

"Yeah, I just had a bad dream."

"It's okay Buffy it's all in the past now. All three hours away in big scary Los Angeles." Buffy's sister, Dawn, said next to her in the back seat. Buffy turned to her sister and gave her the same gentle smile.

Faith turned back to facing the front of the car, and Dawn went back to her book, while Buffy continued to look out the car window. Scenery flew past her as the car drove down to what seemed like a road in a housing neighborhood.

_They had arrived._ The new future laid ahead of them like the road they were now traveling on. Palm trees like L.A. lined the sidewalk with beautiful housing occupying plots of land.

After Faith had gotten expelled from the school she and Buffy had attended, Rupert Giles Faith's uncle, had decided to move them to Sunnydale for a new start. Especially what the two girls had endured in the big city.

Dawn and Buffy Summers were sisters. Buffy and Faith had been best friends since the first day of Kindergarten. After social services had taken Faith away from her mother at the age of twelve, Faith began to live with Giles, as all three girls had taken it upon themselves to refer as to Rupert. A year later, tragedy struck the Summers' girls with losing their mother. After reading her will, the girls found that their mother had given custody to Giles over them.

The duo of Buffy and Faith had always been close. Even when they were ten they decided to consider themselves real sisters and did what they had seen in _My Girl_ and exchange blood to make it official. She and Faith together never always meant good. They could create chaos even with protecting each other. Many actually believed they were just fraternal twins, while others thought they were romantically involved by the way they behaved in public sometimes. However, those that knew them personally knew that they were just joking around and liked to create confusion. They were very much different but treated each other equally.

Buffy's thoughts ended when the car came to a stop in a driveway that lead to a house that would be their new home.

"Well were here." Giles's British voice said to the three of them. They each hopped out of the car eagerly to survey their new home.

"Nice job Uncle-G." Faith said to her uncle. The brunette for some reason insisted on giving almost everyone one letter nicknames. Buffy's of course was 'B'. Buffy's eager excitement to move into a new home allowed her nightmares to be pushed to the back of her brain and forgotten for now.

The house was a two-story house with another small story that must be the attic. A large oak tree stood in front of the house that would give the house a nice shade in the afternoon. It was painted a very nice blue and the landscaping made the house very beautiful. At the front door, was a wooden porch with a cute, little porch swing.

The movers had already arrived as they could see with the front door open and some boxes that were lying on the porch.

"It's very nice." Dawn said agreeing with Faith.

Giles turned towards the three ladies that occupied his life and those he cared for deeply. "This is our new start. Now go hurry and choose your rooms." Before the words were even out of his mouth two hyperactive seventeen year-olds and an equally hyper fourteen year old broke into a run and tried to beat the other to find and claim the best room. Giles rolled his eyes at the three girl's antics already hearing the stomping of feet on the stairs from where he stood on the driveway. "God help me." The British man said to the heavens.


	2. Chapter 2 Dancing with paint

**Chapter 2: Dancing with paint**

Getting all the boxes and furniture had taken a total of almost two hours but with four plus the two movers they had gotten it done. Once the movers had driven away, Giles went out to find a hardware store and get the needed things for the new house plus to buy paint. He had very strict orders on what to colors to get for Faith, Buffy, and Dawn.

While they waited for their guardian to return Faith took up with unpacking the dishes and other things for the kitchen while Buffy took over the dining room and Dawn claimed on unpacking things for the living room. The whole time they shouted through out the house the conversation they were having that way they weren't bored while they unpacked. Upon arriving back, Giles had been bombarded by the three teenagers before they quickly ran back upstairs with their respected paint cans in their hands.

Buffy walked into her new room and placed the paint down on the ground next to her feet. Stepping further into her room, the blonde surveyed the room trying to figure out how she wanted to do this. The walls were covered in blue and white striped wallpaper, which was one of the reasons Faith had said no to this room. Buffy didn't find the selection in wall paper all that appealing as either. Actually, none of them did which is why they had immediately sent Giles out to the hardware store.

The three of them had both argued for a while before coming to a decision on what rooms they would take up. Making a final decision, they put Buffy in the middle room with Faith and Dawn's room on either side of hers. A door connected each of their rooms to Buffy's, which made it rather convenient.

Buffy rather liked her new bedroom. It was spacious as well as the other rooms. On one wall was the window that overlooked the side of the house with a window bench beneath it. Faith had pointed out with a knowing smirk on her face that Buffy's window had the very easiest way ever to sneak out the window. This was somewhat nice considering now Buffy would wake up in the middle of the night after a nightmare and wished to take a walk through the fresh air.

Across the hall was the bathroom that would be for the girls and further down the hall was where Giles' room located along with his very own bathroom.

Observing that it was going to take her forever to get the wallpaper down, Buffy skipped over to the door that lead to Faith's room. Her best friend was currently putting down the plastic to protect the carpet.

"Faithy?" Buffy said with such an innocent voice. Faith straightened at hearing her friend's voice and cursed. The brunette knew what she was going to ask her.   
Faith looked over at the blonde who she considered her sister. "What B?" She asked putting her hands on her hips that were adorning very tight black jeans.

"You wouldn't mind helping me with pulling down that icky looking wallpaper now would you?" Buffy gave Faith that look.

The look that the whole family knew very well. Faith had seen it many times. She was the one that had taught it to Buffy when they were ten and they needed to work the charms on the parents to get their way. Buffy had twisted it just a tad to fit her own style, with adding the pouty lip. No one could refuse Buffy when she had that glint in her eyes and her little lip jutted out like that. Groaning because she knew there was no use in resisting it, Faith grabbed a hair tie and quickly put her longer than shoulder length hair up in a messy ponytail.

"Fine." Faith spit out, not really acting angry. Buffy jumped up and down with a happy glowing smile and hugged Faith. "Thank you Faithy." 

Grabbing her portable boombox and the large CD collection that she and Buffy shared, Faith and Buffy walked back into her room to start working. She chose carefully on what band that she and 'B' could work to and dance all the while. After Buffy came back with two scraper tools to help peel the wallpaper off, Faith pressed play.

_This is where I'll be so heavenly  
So come and dance with me Michael  
So sexy, you're sexy  
come and dance with me Michael_

Faith and Buffy walked up to a wall and began to scrape at the wallpaper. Getting just a little piece to peel off, they both grabbed it and pulled, effectively pulling almost the whole sheet that covered the wall of.

_I'm all that you see, you want to see  
come and dance with me Michael.  
So close now so close now  
come and dance with me  
come and dance with me  
so come and dance with me._

By the time the chorus started Buffy and Faith had already gotten into the groove and began to dance wildly with the song.

_Michael   
You're the boy with all the leather hips  
Sticky hair, sticky hips  
Stubble on my sticky lips.  
Michael  
You're the only one I'd ever want  
Only one I'd ever want  
Only one I'd ever want  
Beautiful boys on a beautiful dance floor._

As the song went on they moved to the beat all the while scraping and pulling the paper off. Buffy took her scraper and began to lip-synch the song to Faith. Faith leaned forward and wiggled her upper body.

_Michael   
You're dancing like a beautiful dance whore  
Michael  
Waiting on a silver platter now... and nothing matters now._

Dawn walked in from her room upon hearing the loud blasting music and couldn't help but laugh at the two girls antics. They were dancing wildly and having so much fun as they worked. Dawn leaned against the doorway and giggle occasionally when Buffy or Faith did the most ridiculous move. The dancing they were doing now was so much cleaner than the kind they would do when they went out. The kind of dancing they did while out were usually grinding together and getting lost in the music.

Dawn envied Faith. Sometimes it seemed Buffy was a lot closer to Faith than her own sister. She it wasn't true, that Buffy cared equally for her best friend and blood sister, but it still couldn't stop Dawn's hurt feelings. Though she still had fun whenever the two older girls would let Dawn hang out with them. 

_This is what I am I am a man  
so come and dance with me Michael.  
So strong, now its strong now  
come and dance with me Michael.  
I'm all that you'll be, you'll ever see  
so come and dance with me Michael._

They were almost through the whole song and half the room already had the wallpaper pulled off it. _See music can help you work faster._ Buffy thought as she danced along. Giles would always tell them that studying with music blasting would never help them retain information; or that dancing around would never get work done. _Quite the opposite._

_So close now so close now.  
come and dance with me.  
come and dance with me.  
so come and dance with me.  
Michael,  
You're the boy with all the leather hips.  
Sticky hair, sticky hips  
Stubble on my sticky lips.  
Michael,  
You're the only one I'd ever want.   
Only one I'd ever want.  
Only one I'd ever want.  
Beautiful boys on a beautiful dance floor._

As the song ended so did Buffy and Faith's work. All walls were bare except for an occasional scrap of paper but Buffy could paint over it. Panting heavily from their workout Buffy smiled and held her hand up for a high five.  
"I expect you to do your beautiful art work for my room." Faith said pointedly to Buffy. She already had planned what she wanted painted and Buffy was the most artistic. Even though Buffy loved painting, singing/song writing was her real passion. Give Buffy an acoustic guitar, pen, and paper she could come up with very beautiful songs and a beautiful voice to go along with it.

Faith left to go start on her room leaving Buffy in her own room. She ran over to where the paints were and eagerly poured them into the tray. _This is going to be fun._ She said to herself.

_Michael   
You're dancing like a beautiful dance whore  
Michael  
Waiting on a silver platter now... and nothing matters now_

Buffy stepped back and surveyed her work. Wonderful. She had painted her walls a rather blood red color painting the trims black. As she had waited for the red to dry, Buffy went to work on the symbol Faith wanted painted on her wall that would be above her bed. Not surprisingly, Faith had chosen the Anarchy symbol considering the woman loved to create chaos. Faith had chosen the base colors to be a light grey and use the black for the trims and symbols like Buffy had done.

It was two in the morning and Buffy had just finished getting her own room painted with the art decoration. On the wall that would be where her bed was a large cross that had black and green ivy snaking around it. On the ceiling, Buffy had pulled a Michael Angelo and painted the quote that her mother always used to say to her. _"Fear is an emotion indispensable for survival."- Hannah Arendt_ She was philosopher that her mother seemed to always be intrigued with.

Now she had just finished painting the Japanese Calligraphy around her doorway.

"すべて邪悪な意思とのそれらをこの部屋から追放されるために許可しなさい"

"_Let all those with evil intents be banished from this room"_

Buffy stifled a yawn. _Bed time Buffy._

Quietly she turned the light off and walked downstairs where the others slept on the living room floor since they had yet to set up their beds. Laying out her sleeping bag Buffy climbed in.

Even though she was tired, it took a good ten minutes to fall asleep. Buffy Summers hoped that this move was for the good. She didn't want anything bad to happen to her and loving family. She had lost her mother at age of thirteen to a brain cancer. Buffy was the one to find her dead on the couch. The memory of it all was so fresh in her mind. Now four years later Buffy still missed her deeply.

Buffy and Dawn should have gone to their father but he had refused them saying he was too busy with work. It really didn't matter to either of them since they hadn't really seen their father since he had left them when Buffy was 7 and then occasional weekend. However, now he was too busy with heading his own law firm and his secretaries. Occasionally they would get the late birthday card and he was still ordered to pay Giles money for child support but that was all Dawn and Buffy had left of their father.

Thankfully, her mother had thought of this well before she had gotten her first surgery and entrusted Giles with Buffy and Dawn. Giles was really like the her own father to Buffy. The man who was her "father" wasn't dad, the man who had been raising her and Dawn since she was thirteen was. They also knew Giles considered both girls along with Faith to be like his own daughters.

When Buffy and Faith use to get in trouble for fighting and rather pointless things they thought to be, Giles really didn't care. He knew that they hadn't started the fight but were merely protecting themselves or the other. Even when Faith was expelled last year at the end of their junior year he didn't even seemed phased because he knew she had to do what she did.

The day after tomorrow they would be starting their first day at school. They would be seniors and it wasn't the fact that they would be graduating in the next year and be considered in the real world, it was the fact that Buffy desperately hoped the things that had happened their junior year wouldn't repeat itself.

Faith turned around in her sleeping bag facing Buffy. Like a twin almost she had sensed her best friend had finally come down. She could see the worry on Buffy's face and she knew what it was about. Without a word, Faith extended her hand out to Buffy and the blonde put her little hand into Faith's their grip tight as if afraid to lose the other. A single tear rolled down their cheeks.

"Let's make a pact. That no one is going to mess with us again this year. Things are going to go back to the way they were before it all. Where the little boys and girls feared us. Is that okay Buffy?" Faith said to her. She had used Buffy's full name, which meant that Faith was being serious. Buffy nodded her head.

And, that's how they both fell asleep. Their hands locked tight together just like their friendship. For once in a long while, Buffy slept that night without a nightmare.

The song they had danced to was 'Michael' by Franz Ferdinand. I always loved dancing to it while I work so I figured why not.  
Please Review!  
Spuffyobessed


	3. Chapter 3 Together again soon my sweet

**Chapter 3: "Together again soon my sweet"**

"Dawnie wake up! You've been sleeping for hours!" Buffy screamed almost at the top of her lungs, but it didn't seem to make a difference. 

It was ten in the morning on Sunday, their last day of freedom before starting their new school and they were stuck unpacking. Both the kitchen and the dining room had been done along with getting the furniture up in Giles' room. They still had to get the girls furniture up the stairs and unpack the living room. Though Dawn's current sleeping form was right in the middle of the living room floor, leaving them with not being able to unpack without dropping something on her.

Buffy was starting to get frustrated with her younger sister. _And they say I'm hard to wake up!_ Out of nowhere Faith sauntered up from the dining room carrying a bowl of coco puffs. "Can you help me wake up sleeping beauty?" Buffy asked as Faith plopped down on the couch, pulling her legs under her to keep her toes warm.

She swallowed the chewed up cereal and then spoke loudly, "Kiddo Brad Pitt is looking up for you!" The instant the words were out of Faith's mouth, Dawn jolted up, looked around and didn't notice that half her hair was sticking up while the other half stuck to her face. Both Faith and Buffy burst out laughing leaving Dawn's head to whip around and glare at her sister and Faith. She stuck her tongue out which seemed to be a Summers trait since Buffy did it back to her.

Giles walked into the living room and looked at Dawn curiously. "Dawn dear, do you know that your looks rather...messed up?" Dawn's hand shot up to grab at her head. Assured that Giles was telling the truth, the younger girl let out a whining sound.

"This sucks, my straightner is still packed up." Buffy rolled her eyes.

"Dawn no ones going to see you. Were staying in to unpack." Buffy told her younger sister.

Faith shoved another spoonful of chocolate-cereal goodness into her mouth before speaking with her mouthful, "Which means get your lazy ass up so we can use you to help take the heavy crap upstairs." 

"FAITH! Why'd you have to have the heavy headboard?!?!" Dawn said through gritted teeth as the four of them lifted and tried to haul Faith's headboard up the narrow stairs. They already had the Dawn and Buffy's furniture and all that was left was Faith's headboard, which was turning out to be a heavy bitch.

"Shut up Kiddo and just push it up already." Faith growled back. Finally, after many stressful pulls they had it over the top landing of the staircase. Quickly they hauled it back to the back bedroom and dropped it the second it was fully in Faith's bedroom.

"Thank God!!" Buffy exclaimed. She threw her golden blonde hair over her shoulder and rolled her shoulders. Moving was a bitch and she hoped they never had to do it again. At least not to a place with stairs.

Buffy and Dawn headed back to their own rooms intent on setting them up. Scrounging through a box, she pulled out her iPOD and the docking speakers. Setting that up on her empty dresser, Buffy put the player on shuffle and began to unpack. She could hear Faith and Dawn's music coming from their rooms and knew Giles must be having a wonderful migraine coming on. As she moved throughout her room, Buffy sung along with the music happily, as she unpacked.

At random, Buffy picked up a box and opened to find that it was all clothes. She put the ones in the closet hung and the others in her dresser drawers.

Hours later Buffy had fixed her bedspread and picked up Mr. Gordo from the bottom of her last box. Sitting on the bed, she hugged Mr. Gordo her little stuffed piggy. Her grandmother had given it to her when she was three before she died and Buffy had fallen in love with it. It was slightly dirty from being years old, and the ear was being held on by a little thread with the stuffing seeping out of the hole. Nevertheless, Buffy still loved it. Giving him a kiss on the nose, she placed him properly on the middle of her bed.

Buffy walked over to the corner of her room where her acoustic guitar sat on its stand. Picking it up and taking the half worked on sheet music from one of her nightstand drawers, Buffy walked over to her window bench and sat down. She sat crossed legged with her guitar in her lap and the sheet music next to her.

It had been almost two weeks since she was able to really focus back on her finishing her music. Partly because of the move and she just hadn't had the heart to finish the song. 

The small blonde loved music. It was her passion and it was what drove her. When she had been younger, she loved singing and always had her mother sign her up for talent shows. Of course she had won because of her sweet angelic voice. Over time she began to write her own songs, especially after her mother had died. After high school, she hoped to get a little apartment in the city, and write her own songs in hopes of being discovered. Buffy didn't think that her songs were that great. Everyone begged to differ. Most of them would leave you crying half way through because you could almost feel the emotion that Buffy had put into when writing it.

When the lived in L.A., Buffy would teach Faith how to play the notes on the guitar and together at a little club they would play. Buffy singing while Faith played. They had always had a large audience every time they had performed.

_I wonder if this town has somewhere I could perform._ Softly Buffy began to strum out the notes she had come up with so far while humming the words that went with it. It was just a simple song. A girl who had hoped she would fall in love before she died. Finally, she did but fate wouldn't let them stay together. Now, the girl was an old woman and seemed to be going over memories of that one love. Ten minutes went by, she had almost gotten a whole verse worked out before Faith, and Dawn came bursting in from the main door of her bedroom, holding a sheet of paper.

"Ok B, considering that we have three girls in this house and only one bathroom. Well two…but Uncle-G refuses to ever let us use his, I feel that we should come up with some sort of schedule on who uses it first, at least for weekdays." Faith explained. She dropped onto Buffy's newly made bed being very careful not to get her Doc Marten boots on it.  
Buffy put her guitar aside carefully so it wouldn't fall. "At any rate we could just go with it and hope that we don't kill each other." Buffy said sarcastically. Faith gave her the 'Please-are-you-that-stupid' look. At the previous place there were two bathrooms for the girls so they didn't have to have this dilemma. Now however there was only one and it was three teenagers that would be using it. There was bound to be someone that would be bitched slapped so the other could use the bathroom. Seeing Faith's expression, Buffy got serious. "Alright I guess we could decide how long we get in the bathroom and then make shifts for different days."

Faith gave her a smirk. "See I knew you were smart B." The blonde simply rolled her eyes. A monkey could have come up with the same suggestion, but Buffy wasn't about to say that.

The three of them worked on the 'schedule' figuring out that they would each get half an hour in the bathroom each morning and Buffy would be first to use it tomorrow then Dawn, and lastly Faith since she liked to sleep in as much as possible. Around six in the afternoon, Giles came up to the room and asked what they wanted from the Chinese restaurant.

Their meal had been eaten like all their meals. Around the table while having not exactly a pleasant conversation because that would make them seem like a family from the fifties. With the playful bantering between the girls, Giles would just shake his head, but would once in while take part in the laughing amongst the teenagers.

Faith had tried to get Giles to let her and Buffy go out to explore the town but he put his foot down, said no firmly, and explained that the two of them would be starting school the next day. The man knew that they would do something to make themselves known in town that would either end them up in jail for half the night, get into a fight, or simply come home at unreasonable hour were other reasons that were not stated. Faith had huffed, puffed, and left the room, stomping up the stairs. They could hear her door slam and blasting music get turned on shortly after.

Buffy giggled at Faith's antics getting a returned glare from Giles. "You can't really blame her Giles. She has been stuck in this house for almost two days now. I'd be going crazy by tomorrow if we didn't start new classes." Giles sighed knowing it was true. His niece was never the type that liked to be held up in the same place for more than one day. She was so much like her mother, who was Giles' sister but at the same time he knew Faith was desperately not to be.

When Faith had been turned over to Rupert at twelve years old, it was because her mother's rights of custody had finally ended. Faith's mother, Katrina Giles had left England when she was eighteen to live in the states. She had hoped to be an actress in Hollywood. However, a few months into living in sunny California left young Katrina almost broke and homeless. She would never go back to England because Katrina and Rupert's father had kicked her out for good when she claimed she wanted to leave the mother country.

Katrina was always wild and wanting to be free just like Faith. After almost weeks of about to kicked out of her shit hole one room apartment, Katrina met Ethan Rayne, who promised Katrina lots of money if she became a hooker and under his control. That is how Faith had come about.

After almost two years as one of the occupants for the oldest profession in the world, Katrina had gotten pregnant with Faith. Over the years, Katrina became to experiment with drugs and drinking more and more. Faith remembered nights of when she was young and her mother would bring home clients. Most of the time she would just call Buffy and ask if she could spend the night there and of course Joyce would happily allow it. When Faith got older, Katrina finally found herself with man that wasn't paying for her. Though he didn't just have an interest for Faith's mother but for Faith as well. That was when Faith had fully learned to protect herself. Carter, her mother's boyfriend had never fully been able to take away Faith's innocence but it still left Faith a little scarred. She became tougher and wilder like her mother. She was a fighter though, which was definitely not what her mother was.

One night Faith had ran out after a near attempt Carter had made with her and ran without stopping all the way to Buffy's house. From there on Joyce had called social services and they had taken Faith away from Katrina and called Rupert. He happily moved out there not knowing he even had a niece. After Faith had moved in with Giles, Katrina had moved away with Carter. Faith never heard from her since. _"Good riddance too!"_ Faith would always say when the subject of her mother came up. Giles hoped that his baby sister was still okay but he highly doubted it.

Buffy waved her hand in front of Giles' eyes and he shook himself from his thoughts.

"Giles you okay?" Buffy asked staring down at where he sat on the couch. The older man nodded his head. "Okay. Well I'm going to head up to bed. I guess I'll see you in the morning." She bent down to give her surrogate father a hug. "Thank you Giles, for all that you've done for me and Dawn." She whispered into his ear. Buffy knew that Giles knew she appreciated all that he had done for her over the past five years but she just felt that she needed to thank him every time an opportunity came.

Giles looked up at the small blonde and nodded his head. "Good night Buffy."

As Buffy walked up the stairs and to her room, she thought about why they had moved. It was for fresh start for all of them, but she knew Giles had made the decision so she could get the fresh start. So she could get away from the problem in L.A. Forever Buffy would spend the rest of life repaying her guardian back.

After showering, Buffy came into her room to brush her hair, she set her alarm as well. By nine o' clock, she was in bed and the light was turned off. The door that connected her and Faith's room was open a little just incase during the night they needed each other.

The minute her head hit the pillow Buffy was fast asleep…

_It was foggy. She could tell that much. She was also in a graveyard, Buffy noted to herself. There was no one around her and she could feel the cold air sweep by her. Wrapping her arms around her body, Buffy trekked on further._

Finally she stopped when she came upon a grave. A very familiar grave.

_Joyce Summers  
Loving Mother  
1959-1993_

_  
Though it wasn't her mothers grave that stopped her dead in her tracks, it was him. He sat crouching next to the her mother's tombstone touching it lightly. Buffy let a sound between a gasp and sob._

"Get away from her!" She screamed at him. His head turned towards her, the most wicked smile she had ever seen on anyone before. He just laughed. That evil laughed he always used in her nightmares.

"Come on sweet cheeks, your overreacting." He stood up and took a step towards her. She took a step back. Having the sudden feeling of being trapped again in the pit of her stomach, Buffy tried to seem strong and calm. He just kept laughing. Suddenly he grabbed her by the shoulders pinning her arms at her side. Pulling her so she was flush against his body, he took in her scent. "Soon my sweet. We'll be together soon again." She felt his fingers dig into her shoulders and the only thing she could hear was her own screaming


	4. Chapter 4 New School

**A/N: Warning this chapter is shorter than the rest**

* * *

**Chapter 4: New School**

_She felt his fingers dig into her shoulders and the only thing she could hear was her own screaming..._

"BUFFY! Wake up!" Dawn screamed at the older Summers sister. Giving her sister a hard shake dawn let her go when Buffy's eyes snapped open. Buffy sat up, breathing heavily and pushed her blonde tresses out of her hair. Buffy looked around her room carefully, making sure he wasn't hiding in the shadows watching her. _Come on get a grip Summers!_ "Another bad dream?" She heard Dawn ask her. Buffy just nodded her head meekly. Dawn simply pushed Buffy's hair behind her ear as if she was the older sister. "It will get better."

The two sisters leaned forward and hugged each other tightly. Pulling back, Buffy noticed it was already morning and seven o'clock. Today was their first day. _Oh joy._ Buffy thought sarcastically.

Not saying anything further about her nightmare Buffy got out of bed. "I guess I'm going to go shower real quick." During the night, she had sweated, probably from the dream leaving her pajamas to stick to her body and feel gross. Quickly grabbing her bathrobe Buffy made her way to the bathroom.

She showered quickly, dried her hair and then doing her hair. She decided to go with straight with just a few curls on the top. By the time she got out of the bathroom donned in her pink fuzzy bathrobe with yellow ducks, Dawn was standing out in the hall tapping her foot impatiently. "You went five minutes over your time."

Ruffling her sister's hair because she knew Dawn would hate it, Buffy walked back to her room. "Calm down its not like you have to worry about Faith banging down the door, I wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't wake up until after you're out of there and dressed." Buffy walked into her room and quickly turned on her music. Sounds of Billy Idol's _Rebel Yell_ began to play out letting her get into a rhythm while she dressed.

Buffy stood in front of her wardrobe trying to select her clothes carefully. Deciding on a pair of black leather pants and a red tank top that had a slash above the breast, Buffy pulled out of her bathrobe and dressed. She skipped over to her vanity mirror and began to intricately apply her make-up. She put her eyeliner, not too heavy but enough to bring her big green eyes out. Applying a shade of eye shadow, light red, Buffy colored her lips with a shiny deep red lip-gloss. Faith walked in right after she had had finished putting on her boots.

"You look hot sex kitten." Faith stifled a yawn. Buffy wiggled her hips with a giggle and continued to finish getting ready.

Buffy tossed a bottle of black nail polish towards Faith. "I borrowed it last night." She explained showing Faith her newly painted nails. Faith just shrugged and left to start getting ready.

The somewhat already blonde shut off her music, grabbed her iPOD and bag before skipping out of her room with a little tune on her lips. "In the midnight hour babe- she cried more, more, more. With a rebel yell she cried "more, more, more"

* * *

L.A. 1985

_Little Buffy Summers stood outside her new and first classroom. Her mother said she had a nice new teacher, Mrs. Hamilton. After pleading with her mother to not leave her here but failing, Buffy was left along to stand outside her kindergarten classroom while her mother was able to leave and head off to work. It was her first day of school she should be excited is what her mother said to her while driving to Oak Side Elementary School._

_Buffy stared at the other boys and girls that played on the jungle gym while waiting for school start. She was torn between going and just start playing with them but she feared of being rejected. Deciding on just sitting by the door of her classroom, Buffy hugged her stuffed pig closer. She refused to leave Mr. Gordo at home where she feared her sister one and a half year old sister would get her little dirty hands on him._

_"Hiya!" A little boy said jumping in front of Buffy scaring her greatly. "What's your name?" Buffy observed the boy closely. He had blonde hair like her too but had blue eyes. "I'm Daniel."_

_"My...names…Buffy." She told him shyly. His look quickly changed and he stared at her like she had two heads._

_"What kind of name is __**Buffy**__?!?" He asked with a little attitude. Trying to not seem hurt by his teasing of her name Buffy just said the first thing that came to her mind._

_"My mother gave me that name!"_

_He laughed. The little boy Daniel grabbed on of her long blonde pigtails that she had asked her mother to braid her into her. "Did your mommy do your hair also?" He yanked rather hard on her hair and Buffy felt tears slip down on her cheeks._

_"HEY!" Daniel was pushed away from little Buffy. She looked to see another little girl standing across from her acting as if she was tall and tough. "Leave her alone." The girl said to Daniel who was on the asphalt from being pushed down by her. "You don't want me beating you up again at daycare again do you?" Daniel shook his head no before scampering off in the other direction._

_Buffy nursed where her braid hung down from her head. "Thank you." She said to the girl. Buffy looked her over. She had brown hair that was just as long as her own, and she was a little taller than Buffy herself. Then again, they were all short for being five years old._

_"I'm Faith. If you stick with me I promise not to let anyone hurt you and we'll be best friends." The girl said out straight. Little Faith hated how kids picked on others. When she had seen the boy picking on the blonde girl across the playground, Faith decided to step in._

_"Okay," Buffy agreed liking the idea of already making a friend._

_"Great! What's your name?" Faith asked with a big smile._

_"Buffy…Buffy Summers."_

_"I like your name B. I'm going to call you B."_

_Buffy nodded her head not caring. "Alrighty." The loud whistle blew that told the kids it was time to go to their classrooms. Faith stuck her hand out with all fingers curled all except her pinky. Buffy linked her own pinky with Faiths, their joined hands fell between them and that is how they walked into the classroom._

* * *

**Present Day**

Buffy and Faith stood in front of the large building. _Sunnydale High. Enter all those that seek knowledge._ Buffy rolled her eyes at the cheesy inspirational quote. They were trying to make it seem like a happy place to be, when in reality it was just a little better than a prison. At least with this place they got to go home and didn't have to worry about shower time.

Buffy looked around the campus in front of her. On the grass other teenagers milled about. Groups of all sorts sat in their own little areas. Buffy already spotted the cheerleading type of girls standing at the top of the stairs. _Oh how I can't wait for this day!_

Faith turned towards Buffy already with a look of disgust for the campus on her face. "You don't think we could just skip this huh B?"

Oh how Buffy wished they could do that. Buffy shook her head no though. "Giles wouldn't be too pleased if we didn't even at least show up for our first day." Buffy pointed out and Faith pouted. Giles had walked ahead of the girls in hopes of finding the new library he would be working in and get set up. He told them he would meet them in the main office before they met with their new principal. "Well think on the bright side Faith. We have new people to play with if they decide to start shit." Buffy said with a shrug. Suddenly Faith's ees brightened at the that thought.

"Ready?" Faith asked. Buffy nodded her head. The brunette stuck her hand out to the blonde just like she had done the first day they had met. Buffy locked her picky with Faiths and together they walked across the campus with their head held high and attitude written all over their face. As if they were practically models on a runway, the duo ignored as almost the whole student body turned their head and stared curiously at what appeared to be the new girls.

"Blondie Bear!"

Upon hearing that voice, the teenaged bad ass of Sunnydale High froze. Spike Thorndale was currently talking to his friend Charles Gunn, Gunn for short, when he heard the nails on a chalk board voice speak behind him. Spike rolled his eyes and passed his hands through his slicked back hair that had been dyed a striking peroxide blonde. He cursed a million swear words under his breath. Gunn couldn't help but chuckle at the look of annoyance appeared on his good friends face.

Spike turned around slowly in hopes that Harmony wouldn't be standing behind him. But sadly she was, and decked out in all pink. Her little mates, Cordelia Chase, who actually ran Harmony, and then Darla Porter stood next to her. Harmony Campbell hugged Spike eagerly.

"You didn't call me last night Blondie Bear." Harmony whined. Spike quickly looked to the heavens in hopes that they would somehow save him from this dilemma. Harmony didn't seem to get that Spike wanted to dump her off him immediately. They had gone out on a few dates but that was enough for Spike. She was dumb, high pitched, and all she talked about was clothes. Also the pet name she had dubbed him was really getting on his nerves. By the second date, Spike had found he was willingly about to kill himself. _Have to set it out straight for her mate._ He told himself.

"I know pet I'm a bad man." Spike's British voice said, faking that he actually cared.

Leaning up to give her Blondie Bear a peck on the lips Harmony nodded. "You're forgiven Spikey."

Suddenly Devon Carter, another friend of Spike's walked up to them eagerly. "Dudes did you see the new girls?"

Everyone shook his or her head. Quickly Devon moved and pointed behind him for everyone to get a peak at the new girls walking by. A brunette and a blonde walked next to each other while they held hands rather oddly. They had the look that screamed 'don't-mess-with-us' look plastered on their face. They were both beautiful, but what caught Spike's eyes the most was the blonde. Like the brunette she wore black leather pants rather than red and then a red top that looked delicious on her. Her hair was a golden blonde that seemed air light and shined in the sunlight leaving Spike enthralled by her beauty. _Bloody hell she's beautiful._ His mind screamed.

The whole group's eyes traveled the duo until they walked into the school building doors, and quickly the spell of enthrallment was broken.

"What are they lesbian lovers?" Cordelia asked almost disgusted. She was angry that the spotlight had been taken away from her and her friends, Spike could tell.

"I don't know but who really cares?" Gunn said with the look of interest if in fact the two new girls were intimately involved. Devon held his hand up for a high five showing his agreement with Gunn. Spike turned back to Harmony to see an annoyed look on her face. He knew she didn't like having competition, and by the looks of the new arrivals it seemed she and her mates would be having some.

However, it was decided for Spike. He wanted to get to know that golden blonde goddess.

* * *

A/N: I really hope I introduced Spike well in this chapter. I just couldn't come up with anything better. I'll make the chapters better. Just incase there will be any confusion, its like a month after school already started that BUffy and Faith have arrived. There are little reasons for this. Antwya more characters introduced next chapter. Please keep the good reviews coming :)  
Spuffyobsessed 


	5. Chapter 5 New school comes with

A/N: Ok I know updating a lot but I have nothing else to do. Here's chapter 5. Enjoy P.S. Thanks to my beta Jennifer who is greatly editing these as quickly as I give them to her.

* * *

**Chapter 5: New School comes with new friends and enemies**

"Summers, Buffy. Well it seems you have a colorful record here. Suspended for countless fights, almost on the brink of expulsion, numerous days skipped, oh and even an arrest but no charges were brought to you." Buffy watched as the principal who she considered a short man with no spine and too much nose hair for his hooknose looked over her school transcript. Buffy gave a yawn and continued to stare at Principal Snyder. "Though it seems your friend Faith Giles has you beat. It is the same…just she was the one to be expelled. Oh joy." Dropping the two folders for Buffy and Faith, Snyder got up and moved to look at the window behind his desk.

Giles, Faith, and Buffy all sat in the principals office going over the final things to get them their schedules. Faith had the same bored look on her face and Giles just sat there trying not to show his already hate for his new boss. It seemed Snyder was already pre-judging his girls and calling them delinquents. Yes Buffy and Faith had gotten into trouble many times but shouldn't be considered delinquents.

"I'll have you know that I run a tight ship here at Sunnydale High. I don't have favorites. Don't even think that just because your guardian is the librarian that you'll have it easy." Snyder explained. He turned around to look at the two girls occupying the seats in front of his desk. He had a feeling he would be seeing them there regularly. Buffy leaned forward and picked up the long silver letter opener. She twirled it in her fingers. Looking at Principal Snyder through hooded eyes, she then held the letter opener in her hand as if it were a knife. She hoped to get some kind of reaction from the spineless man.

Giles gave a slight cough. She noticed Giles giving her a stern look to put the opener down. Sighing Buffy dropped it back on the desk. Her and Faith both giggled softly. "I will be watching you two. If you even so much as put a toe outside the boundary I will have you dealt with. Dismissed."

The three of them got up and left the office. After getting their class schedule from the secretary, Giles left them to head back to the library saying they would have to stop by the library after school to get their books.

Buffy groaned once Giles had left them and she had the chance to look at her schedule. Comparing her schedule to Faith's, Buffy's eyes went wide and she looked deeply annoyed. "That little weasel only gave us one class together."

"Asshole!" Faith replied. "_I'll be watching you."_ Impersonating Snyder. "Pervert." Buffy laughed.

"Well what do you have first Faithy?" Buffy asked.

"Chemistry. 205. You?"

Buffy looked down at her sheet of paper. "English Lit. 135. Mr. Hollander."  
Faith walked towards the stairs. "Well I guess I'll find you during lunch. Don't kill anyone B." With that, she turned around and headed off to her own classroom.

Buffy groaned when she realized that everyone was already in class, which meant that when she walked into class everyone's eyes would be on her. _They better not make me 'introduce myself'._ Silently Buffy walked in a direction she guessed where her classroom was.

Spike sat in the back of his English Literature class completely bored. He was trying to think of ways to break up with Harmony. A way that would be most effective so it could get through her thick skull that he didn't want to ever see her again.

Suddenly the door in the front of the classroom opened. Everyone's head including Spike's turned to watch as the beautiful blonde new girl walked in. Spike's smile turned into a smirk at the fact that she was in his English Literature class.

"Well hello." Mr. Hollander said. She didn't say anything but walked up to the teacher handed him her schedule and waited. "Ah, yes. Hello Buffy. Class this is Buffy Summers." Buffy stood with her hands on her slim hips and stared at the sea of students sitting in their desks. "Buffy, why don't you take a seat next to Mr. Thorndale."

Buffy looked around and saw the only empty seat in the back corner. She snatched back her schedule and walked to where the empty seat was located. She plopped down in the seat. "Buffy is there anything you want to say about yourself?" Mr. Hollander asked.

All heads turned towards the back to look at her leaving Buffy glaring back at all of them. "No." She replied simply. Hearing a snort of laughter right next to her Buffy's head snapped to see whom the amusement was coming from. Buffy Summers literally felt her heart stop as she laid eyes on the very hot sexy goodness sitting next to her.

What caught her eyes at first were his penetrating blue eyes. Raking her eyes down lower, she found striking features with the most beautiful chiseled cheekbones. His bleached blonde hair shocked her but she automatically decided that it suited him well. A tight black t-shirt covered his chest showing off his muscles. The rest of his clothes were black as well. Buffy raised a curious eyebrow at the fact that we was wearing a rather long black leather duster even if it was at the tail end of the summer heat. Buffy noticed that she had been caught checking him out and he too raised a scarred eyebrow with a hint of amusement in her eyes.

"What school did you transfer from?" She heard Mr. Hollander ask her breaking Buffy's thoughts from whom she guessed to be 'Mr. Thorndale'. _So much for trying to get out of talking about myself._ Rolling her eyes Buffy answered him.

"Hemery High in L.A." All the students seemed to whisper at the thought of someone from the big city.

"Oh. Interesting. What brought you to Sunnydale?" Man this guy just wouldn't let up.

Letting out a sigh Buffy told a summary of her story. "Live with my best friend and her uncle. She was kicked out and I was on the brink of it. We moved. End of story." She gave everyone a smug smile. All their eyes widened at the fact that they practically had two new troublemakers on campus, and this one so far spoke her mind. Buffy heard the cutie next to her chuckle at her answer. Mr. Hollander took the hint that she wasn't going to talk anymore and quickly went back to teaching. Looking out the window to entertain herself, Buffy let her thoughts wonder.

She was thinking about all that had happened in the past when suddenly she heard a very sexy British voice whisper into her ear.

"Hello kitten." Turning in her chair so she faced him, Buffy noted that it was bleach boy who sat next to her. _So he's a British man like Giles._ A man with an accent always attracted her but she wasn't impressed.

"Hiya sexy." She whispered back with an innocent smile.

Spike was taken aback by her bluntness but was getting more and more intrigued.

"Names Spike." He extended his hand out for her to shake. She shook it.

Buffy couldn't help it. "Either your parents were drunk or your one of those bad boys." Spike chuckled.

"I'm going to go with your second guess." Mr. Hollander didn't hear them converse.

"So, how'd you get an _interesting_ name like that?" Buffy questioned as she pretended to seem interested. Surprisingly she rather was but she wasn't about to admit it. She knew what_Spike_ was up to. It was what ever guy that had the chance to talk to the new girl would do. Charm her then try and show her around town and before you know it, they were trying to get in her pants. Buffy may be seen as a blonde but she wasn't dumb.

"I threatened a guy with a railroad Spike. A few of my mates started calling me it and it stuck." He answered. Buffy gave him an approving nod.

Suddenly the bell rung and the students began to pack up their things and file out of the classroom.

"Well Spike that's an interesting story. I'll see you around." She gave him a wink and before he could say another word, she walked out.

* * *

Buffy was practically already dead by the end of her second period class, Chemistry. She was able to see Faith in between but only for minute because they had to go off and search for their lockers. After her Chemistry class her teacher had pulled her aside and suggested that she get help from one the students in her class. She had even referred her to someone. A girl by the name of Willow Rosenburg. Buffy was going to take up on her teacher's advice and seek out this Willow Rosenburg. She really didn't want to fall behind on her school work, other wise Giles would be on her case.

Buffy was on her way to the library since she had study hall and figured she could visit Giles and get her needed books. Turning the corner quickly Buffy didn't see the person she ran straight into. Seeing her papers and binder go up and then fall down to the ground Buffy sighed. _Way to go Summers!_

Bending down Buffy began to pick up her fallen items.

"I'm so sorry." She heard a little voice say. Buffy looked up and found a sweet girl with red head bending down to help her pick up the things.

"Nah, its no big, I was rushing around that corner like I was on a race track." Buffy assured the redhead getting the feeling the girl might be a little scared of her. She recognized her from both her English Literature and Chemistry class. "I'm Buffy Summers. I'm new."

"Yeah I know, you're in both my classes." The girl said politely. Buffy smiled, this girl was really shy. "My names Willow."

Buffy's eyes lightened up. Was this Willow Rosenburg. "Are you Willow Rosenburg?" Buffy asked repeating her thoughts. Willow looked shocked that the new girl had known her name. Quickly shock turned to panic, afraid that she had already gotten on the bad side of the new girl. A new girl who had almost been kicked out of her old school. "Ms. Ricky, in chemistry told me you were the girl to help me get caught up in chemistry. I was wondering if you could help me sometime. Because really I don't want to fall behind and then have a little talk with the weasel of a man Snyder. I've just met the guy and I can barely stand him."

Willow laughed feeling at ease. "Yeah, nobody does." Buffy scrunched up her nose.

"Why am I not surprised." Together they both laughed lightly. Willow really liked this new girl Buffy. Even though of the rumors she had already heard spread around the school about her the other new girl, she figured they were hardly true. She seemed to be too nice to be mean and a bad ass.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the new girl and little Miss Willow Rosenburg." Buffy and Willow turned to see a tall girl dressed rather expensively walk up to them with two blonde girls right behind her on either side. _Lackeys!_ Buffy observed of the two blondes. "I'm Cordelia Chase. Head cheerleader captain This is Darla and Harmony." Cordelia extended her hand but Buffy simply stared at it with a hint of un-interest and disgust on her face.

"And?" Buffy asked not seeming impressed.

"Well you use to go to Hemerey in Los Angeles right?" Cordelia questioned. Buffy just nodded her head. "Well that considers you cool automatically. Take some advice hanging out with…her." Cordelia pointed to Willow. "Isn't going to help your case with being accepted into our group."

Buffy bit her lip and looked down pretending to be thinking it over. Finally she looked up and had that evil glint in her eyes. She only got it when she was about to beat the snot out of someone or attempt to put them in their place. "Well it's a good thing I would never consider joining your group of bimbos. You know because I have a brain and I use it. Now please take you, your little Cordettes, and your over sprayed hair and get out of my face." Harmony's, Darla's, and Willow's practically fell down to the ground. Cordelia tried not to seem phased. She would get her revenge. No one refused her like that, no one. She was known as Queen C for a reason. Oh, Buffy Summers will pay and wish she hadn't said that.

Cordelia stuck her nose up, spun around on her heel and stomped off with Harmony and Darla right behind her.

Willow finally let out a breath that she didn't know she was holding. "Your going to regret that Buffy. Cordelia and her friends are known for making anyone's life a living hell if they don't like you. Trust me I know." Willow was soon finding she was admiring Buffy Summers.

Buffy simply shrugged. "Oh well. Girls like her annoy me more than mimes scare me. And let me tell you Mimes really scare me." Willow laughed. "So do you think you'd ever be able to help me with Chem?"

Willow quickly nodded. "Yeah I have study hall right now. If you want we can go to the library and get started."

"Very cool. Yeah I was just heading down there to talk with Giles." Buffy said as they started walking. Willow gave her a confused look so Buffy explained further. "Giles he's my guardian. I live with him and his niece Faith, who is my best friend also and the other new girl you probably heard about. Oh and then there's Dawn my little sister."

"Oh is he the new librarian?" Willow asked. Buffy nodded her head yes. "I heard we were getting one. Mrs. Krager had to retire. She was really nice. I heard the new one worked at the British Museum. Is that true?"

"Yeah. But he had to leave when he had to start taking care of Faith."

"Wow. So why are you living with him then?" Willow asked cautiously.

"My mom died when I was thirteen. Dear old daddy wouldn't take care of Dawn and I and my mother had already stated in her will that she wanted me and my sister to go live with Giles so we just went to go live with him." Buffy told her story.

"Oh I'm sorry." Willow apologized. Buffy just shrugged, she had learned to heal. "If you don't mind me asking, how did she die?"

"Brain tumor." She said in a simple monotone voice. Nothing was else was said until they got to the library. "Wow pretty nice library." She said surveying the place that Giles was now working.

"Oh Buffy. Hello. Why aren't you in class?" Giles said coming out of his office from behind the counter.

Buffy leant against the counter. "Study Hall G-man, Oh Giles this is Willow Rosenburg, Willow this is Rupert Giles obviously our new librarian." Buffy introduced the two.

"Hello. It's nice to meet you Mr. Giles." Willow greeted.

"Please call me Giles Buffy and my niece already do" Willow nodded her head.

"Alright Giles, I was wondering if you could get me a the books I need for theses classes while me and Willow get cracking on the books." Buffy handed him her schedule so he could figure out what books she needed. Her and Willow walked over to one of the tables and sat down. "Alright smart girl…teach me."

* * *

A/N: Well theres the introduction of Willow I promise there will be more Spike. You'll soon learn Spike's story and there is a little more to him than how comes off to the others. Please keep reviewing.  
Spuffyobsessed 


	6. Chapter 6 Meet the Friends

A/N: Ok sorry but this a very short chapter. Like I always say…enjoy it.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Meet the friends**

"Grr! I hate you; I really hope you'll just die!" Buffy screamed kicking her new enemy really hard. She bit back the scream of pain. "I've never wanted to take out my anger so much." Buffy gave it another kick and let out a groan of frustration.

"B? Why are you attacking your locker?" She heard Faith ask from behind her. Buffy turned her head around and gave her best friend a glare, not meaning to take it out on Faith.

"I swear to God this locker is out to get me." Buffy claimed pouting. She began to turn the dial of her locker putting in the numbers. After putting in the third number, Buffy yanked on the handle. "Ah-ha! I beat you, you little fucker." Buffy said cursing at her locker as if it were an actual person.

Swinging the door open, Buffy threw her binder in her bag and pulled out her small little lunch that she had packed. Slamming the door shut Buffy turned fully around to look at Faith. Her attitude had gone from aggravated to calm in under a matter of mere seconds. "So what's up with your new classes Faithy?" Buffy asked her best friend.

"A drag. Yours?"

"Dull. But hey I met the girl that practically runs this school." Buffy said with an innocent smile.

Faith began to get excited. "Uh-oh spill B what did you say?"

"Oh a few choice words on how I would never be caught dead wanting to join her little miss popular group and that she should get out of my face."

Faith's eyes widened. "You took it easy on her?" Faith exclaimed and Buffy nodded her head yes. Faith pretended to act like this was physically hurting her. Grabbing onto Buffy's shoulder she groaned. "Buffy dear haven't I taught you anything?"

Buffy simply rolled her eyes. "It's the first day I decided to be just a tad nice. However, I shot down this real hottie in my English Lit. Class." Faith groaned louder smacking her palm against her forehead.

"Your killing me B!"

"Come on the guy had that cocky attitude and he kept thinking that he was Mr. Charmer had to do something." Buffy explained.

"You're on probation Summers." Faith said slinging her arm over Buffy's shoulders. Willow walked up to her Buffy and Faith with another guy right behind her.

"Hey Buffy!" Willow greeted. After using their time during study hall to catch Buffy up on Chemistry it was time for lunch. Buffy told Willow to meet her at her locker after she picked up a few things. Buffy had no idea she would pick up a guy.

"Hey Wills. Willow this is Faith, Giles' niece. Faith this is Willow. She's uber-smart and is helping me in Chemistry already." Buffy stated matter of factly. Willow blushed.

"What up? So your smart eh?" Faith asked Willow who said a quiet yes. "I could make some use out of you." Faith said with an evil smirk and giving Willow a wink.

Buffy placed her hand on Faith's arm. "Play nice Faithy."

The boy behind Willow coughed loudly. Both Faith and Buffy leaned to the side and peered over Willow to look him over. He was tall and rather straggly with mop of brown hair.

"Oh, I totally forgot. This is Xander Harris. Xander this is Buffy and Faith." The boy stepped forward and gave them a goofy warm smile.

"Also known as the new girls." Was the first thing that came out of his mouth. "What brings you to boring Sunnydale and the better question…why Sunnydale?"

Buffy looked at Faith. "Everyone really wants to know about us."

Faith answered Xander. "Short story, I got kicked out at the old school and my uncle decided we all needed a fresh start." Xander nodded his head satisfied with his answers.

"Well now that we have introductions done I say we go to cafeteria and see what kind of oogily-boogily crap their trying to pass off as food in this hell hole." Xander said leading the girls towards the cafeteria.

* * *

The cafeteria was rather loud. Most of everyone sat in there. Like any other high school they student body sat in the groups that they belonged in. The cheerleaders and jocks and other popular people sat in the middle that way they could see everything that occurred. Around them was the people that were popular by association. Then they drama kids, after them were the regulars the ones that just lived their lives day by day. In the corners were the geeks, the band people, and then of course Willow, Xander, their group of friends, plus two new friends.

Buffy, Faith, Willow and Xander walked up to a table that already had occupants. Coming up the table Xander held out his hands to silence everyone. "Okay everyone I'm only going to do round of introductions and I'm only going to do it once. So if you miss it tough luck." Buffy could tell most of the time Xander liked to clown around. "Alright. Were going to start from the left. This is Andrew, star wars geek feel free to slap him if talks too much about star wars. Then we have Anyya my lovely girlfriend. Tara, Willow's cousin. Oz, Willow's Boyfriend. Winifred but just call her Fred. Willow brought her to the group after they met at the science fair. Everyone, this Buffy Summers and Faith Giles." Xander finished introducing everyone. He fell into an empty chair next to Anya pretending to be exhausted.

"So you're the new girls?" The girl introduced as Anya asked. The girls nodded. "Well, have you had any great orgasms. Be honest, Xander here gives me the best. I really like your girl's pants." Faith instantly burst out laughing, loving how this girl was very blunt. She fell into a chair at the table.

"I like you." Faith said between laughter.

Anya wrinkled her nose. "Sorry but I'm not gay. I like the penis." This time everyone began laughing. Anya looked around the table not getting at what they were laughing at. "What?"

* * *

"Uh! Look at them. They just ruined their reputation by sitting at that table. I was willing to look over the fact that Betty or what ever her name is insulted me given the fact that she's new, but this is unacceptable." Cordelia said to her whole table. It was mainly the head cheerleaders and the varsity of the football team. Plus Spike, Gunn, and Devon given the fact that Spike was dating Harmony and Devon was currently Cordelia's boy toy at the moment. Spike looked over to the table where the Miss Summers occupied it with Xander, Red, and their friends.

"Cordelia admit your just pissed she didn't get down on her knees and beg to be accepted." Riley Finn, varsity of the football team said. There were rounds of "oohs" going through out the whole table. Cordelia just scrunched up her nose.

"Well duh. I mean who does she think she is. And, her little friend over there isn't any better." Cordelia shot back. Spike just rolled his eyes. Getting up he decided to go out and smoke a cigarette. Ignoring Harmony's questions of where he was going Spike continued to walk on. He passed by the table that Buffy sat at. In that moment, she chose to look up and their eyes locked. He gave her a wink before walking out the door leaving her blushing.

_Bloody hell I need to talk with her._

Faith watched as her best friend made eye contact with the cute blonde. She also caught the wink that he threw at her and the blush Buffy had thought no one caught. Inwardly Faith laughed. Buffy was acting like a little freshman with a crush.

She wondered if this was the guy that Buffy had said she shot down his charms. If so she really believed that Buffy was going insane. The boy screamed Sex God and if he didn't have the obvious attraction for Buffy, Faith would so move in on him.  
Though Faith felt her protective side of Buffy come in. Who knew what this guys intentions could be and Faith now understood why B had shot him down. If they got any closer, Faith would definitely have to have a talk with Blondie and keep a close eye on him.

* * *

A/N: This was just a short chapter to get their first day at school off well and to introduce most of the main characters you'll be seeing.  
Spuffyobsessed 


	7. Chapter 7 School Prjoect

**Chapter 7: School Project**

Buffy and Faith stood outside Sunnydale Middle School tapping their feet impatiently. Dawn had yet to come out of school yet. Actually, no one had come out of the school yet.

Their first day was over. After lunch, Buffy and Faith found they had found a completely new group of friends and nice ones at that. Yeah some of them were nerds but they were better than backstabbers and fakes. Faith noticed she had Study hall with Xander, Anya, and the shy girls Fred and Tara, and decided to simply hang with them in the library giving her a chance to talk with her uncle. She told him of the blonde bad boy who had taken up an interest in Buffy and all their new friends. Giles seemed to be pleased that a guy was interested in Buffy, that is until Faith mentioned he looked like he got in trouble, then his smile turned into a frown.

Buffy seemed to like her art class. After the teacher, Ms. Calendar had told the class what to do for the class time; Ms. Calendar began to tell her what she could do to make up all the work she needed to catch up on.

* * *

**Earlier that day in fourth period.**

"_Well Buffy since you've missed about almost a month and a half of the school year, it would be rather hard to make up all the art assignments and projects." Ms. Calendar told Buffy. The teacher seemed to be in her early thirties and she looked very nice and sophisticated for a teacher. Buffy nodded._

_Suddenly the door opened and Buffy's head turned to look who came in. In walked Spike and her breath seemed to do that catchy thing in her throat again. He seemed to look before setting his eyes on her, and she caught the smile in his eyes at the thought of seeing her. __**Oh God is he in my class. Again?!?!**__ Her and Spike seemed to be just staring at each other from across the room for a whole minute. She couldn't tell. Suddenly Ms. Calendar's voice broke their thoughts._

_"William, it's so nice of you to finally join us." Buffy's eyes seemed to bug out when she heard could actually be Spike's real name. Spike looked from Buffy to Ms. Calendar. He shrugged his shoulders, not caring that he was late. When was he ever on time for art?_

_Buffy turned back to Ms. Calendar. She felt Spike's eyes watching her as he made his way to one of the art tables. Buffy made herself focus on what Ms. Calendar was saying. "So I'll make you a deal. I'll give you a week and a half to work on anything you want. Paintings, a sculpture, a drawing, even a video as long as it's artistic. This will be your assignment to make up all the work. And, don't worry it will be artistic as long as you think it is. Because that's the thing about art. It's only art if the creator thinks it is." She smiled at Buffy. Then in that instant Buffy knew she wasn't going to have a problem with Ms. Calendar. She seemed like such a very nice teacher._

* * *

The rest of classes went of smoothly. Buffy tried desperately to act as if she was concentrating on what to do for her project during the remaining time of art so no one would bug her. But Spike had come up to her and began talking. Their conversation was filled with mild flirting and small bantering mostly. Buffy could tell that Spike had an attraction for her, but Buffy wasn't going to start anything up. She had learned her lesson to stay away from the bad boys and that's what she was doing. Though her subconscious knew that Spike was very yummy this made it even harder to submitting to full-out flirting.

Her next class, Economics and Civil Studies had been with Faith, Willow, and Xander." Their teacher was a drag, but with her best friend and her two new ones, they it made it seem fun and the time pass quickly.

"Where the hell is the kid?" Faith cursed plopping down on the curb. Faith shook herself from her thoughts of remembering earlier today and sat down next to Faith. After school, they had gone to the library. Giles couldn't give them a ride because he had a staff meeting, and he had asked the girls to walk over to the middle school to pick up Dawn and walk home with her. They had agreed. Now they had been standing outside for about almost thirty minutes. Giles said they got out at 3:00 and it was now 3:20.

As if answering their prayers, they heard the bell ring. Minutes later, masses of students poured out of the building. Buffy stood up with her hands on her hips trying to locate Dawn out of the crowds of middle schoolers. Seeing that even most of the seventh graders were taller than, her Buffy hopped on her tippy toes. She spotted Dawn and called out to her, waving her hands and all.

"Hey you guys. Where's Giles?" Dawn said when she walked up to them.

Faith stood up wiping dirt from her leather pants and said, "Giles told us to pick you up. He said you got out at 3:00." Both older girls surveyed around them and noticed that many of the kids stood in groups staring at them. The boys with a horny look in their eyes and the girls jealous because even they wanted to pull the look off that Buffy and Faith had.

Dawn noticed as well and rolled her eyes. Her sister and her friend always got the looks. "No, we get out at 3:20."

"Whatever. Tell Giles that." Faith bent to pick her stuff up off the ground, not caring that most of the guys behind her leant forward to watch her do it. Both Buffy and Dawn shared a look and laughed.

They began to walk away, intent on home. Buffy wrapped her arm around Dawn's shoulders. "So how was my little sister's first day?"

Dawn just shrugged and said fine. The whole way home, Dawn told of some funny events that she had in class, how she had made a friend, and how she had met a boy her age named Connor. Buffy scrunched her nose up at that thought.

The rest of the afternoon was spent doing homework, finishing the unpacking, and making dinner as a team before Giles got home. After having dinner Buffy sat in her room trying to figure out what how to finish her song. Coming to terms that tonight she had writers block, Buffy moved to working out what she could to with her art project. All the while trying not to think of the sexy blonde with amazing blue eyes who had made conversation with her in two of her classes.

"Hey Buffy, hey Faith." Buffy stood at her locker with Faith before class, trying to yet again open it when Willow and her boyfriend Oz came up to them. The two girls greeted back and asked what was up.

"Are you guys doing anything on Friday night?" Willow asked rather too enthusiastically for eight in the morning. Buffy just shook her head no. "Well do you want to go to the Bronze? A whole bunch of us our going, Oz is playing on Friday night."

"What's the Bronze?" Faith asked now seeming intrigued.

"A club. The only club Sunnydale has. Probably nothing like the ones in L.A. but most the high school kids hang out there." Willow explained.

The bell rang to get to start heading to class. Buffy shut her locker and together they walked in the same direction. "Sure that seems cool. Oz you never told us you were in a band." Buffy said. Oz just shrugged not saying a word. Actually, the girls had never heard Oz say one word since they had met him yesterday. Willow had explained that it wasn't the because Oz was shy, he just had nothing to say. Usually when he did, it was something rather wise and cool sounding.

They came to the staircase and Faith began to break away. "I'll see you guys later. And B don't get naughty." She flashed Buffy a knowing smirk. Buffy gave her back a peculiar stare not knowing what the hell Faith was smirking for. _That's Faith, does she ever make sense?_ Her mind had argued.

A minute passed and Willow and Oz said goodbye when Buffy came upon her English class. She waved farewell to her friends and walked into the classroom. She walked to her desk and sighed relief when Spike wasn't in his seat. _Maybe he'll be absent._ Buffy thought hoping he would be that way it would be easier to try and resist her flirtatious charms. However, her prayers weren't answered when in came the bleached bad boy. He sauntered up to his desk with a smirk on his lips.

"Ello' pet. How are you this morning." He had the same cocky smirk that he always had when he had talked to her. Buffy couldn't tell if he only used it when he talked with her or if that was just his normal facial expression. Either way it was getting her damn nerves. It felt as if he knew something that she didn't.

Buffy just gave him a smile. "I'm doing pretty good…William." She said using the name Ms Calendar had called him. His smirk faltered and he quickly scowled. Buffy smiled more knowing that would make that smirk run off. "How are you?" While she waited for him to answer, Buffy took out a pen from her bag.

"Much better now that I saw you." He said sitting down at his desk. Buffy froze when he said that and she heard him chuckle. _Is he telling the truth or is he just trying to see what kind of reaction I'll get?_ Buffy's thoughts raced with all different 'what-if' situations. Buffy chose to ignore his statement as if he hadn't said it. "So pet are you liking Sunnydale so far?"

Buffy nodded. "It's small and surprisingly I like that better than L.A." _I like anything better than L.A._ She thought the last part silently. "Hell even Faith likes it better than the big city and she hates small areas." Spike noticed that when she talked about Faith or her sister she had a smile you could see clearly in her eyes. He had seen it while they had talked yesterday during their art class.

The bell rang and Mr. Hollander turned around from the blackboard allowing the students to view what he had written on the blackboard. _Macbeth Project. Due Monday._ Buffy and the rest of the class groaned when they read the horrible words. Before anyone could ask any questions Mr. Hollander began to explain.

"This week I want you to do an analysis project on the story of Macbeth. What I want you to look over is if the weird sisters hadn't told Banquo or Macbeth what were to happen to them, would things have gone differently. I want you to write me a paper on this idea and then come up with something to explain the effect of telling prophecies. It can be anything." Buffy rolled her eyes. She had read over the play Macbeth last night and thought the guy was seriously psychotic. "You will be working as a group of two.And yes I myself paired you up with someone already. Before I tell you who you are paired up with, I suggest that you work on this at each others homes or work out some kind of work schedule." Everyone groaned louder. Buffy prayed silently that she had been paired with Willow and not someone she didn't know.

Grabbing a clipboard off his desk, Mr Hollander began to read off by last names. "Johnson with Chase. Abrams with Costello. Rosenburg and Smith. Summers and Thorndale…." Buffy inwardly cursed Mr. Hollander.

She looked to her right and saw Spike staring at her with an amused expression painted on his face. How the hell was she going to resist his charms now if she had to work with him. _Give him a chance. You only think he could be a prick because you think every guy is a prick.. Maybe he's really nice._ Buffy was shocked that she had even argued with herself.

_Faith will get a kick out of this._

* * *

Spike walked into the noisy cafeteria. He honed in on finding Buffy at the table with her new friends. He needed to talk with her and work something out for their project. He had planned to ask her right after class but she had high tailed it out of the classroom the minute the bell had rang.

He saw her and his heart stopped, and he felt himself get turned on. Since when did a smile turn him on he had no idea. She was just sitting there laughing at whatever the whelp Harris had said to be funny. She smiled beautifully. Her eyes lit up, her lips showed white gleaming teeth, and if possible, she seemed to glow even more.

He had just met her yesterday, barely had three conversations and already this woman had him wanting to get rather close with her. _I feel like a bloody poof._

Now he was going to be able to work on a project with her, get to know her. Usually Spike would never try to get to know a girl before he made a move like was willing to do with Buffy. Something must be different about this girl.

Spike began to walk again towards Buffy until he was stopped by another blonde. Harmony. He cursed the heavens like he always did when he saw Harmony.

"Hey Blondie Bear. I missed you." She wrapped her arms around him and made a move to kiss him but Spike turned his head.

"Harm we need to talk." Spike said in a cold voice. Harmony looked at him with a colder stare knowing exactly what he was about to do. "I think we should break up."

"What?!?! Your breaking up with _me_?" Harmony screeched sending the whole cafeteria into silence. Everyone's eyes were on them.

"I believe the words were said by me." Spike said.

"Why? Is there someone else?" Her voice seemed to get as she spoke making Spike feel an oncoming migraine. Finally Spike snapped. He always did have an easy temper to lose.

"Because your like nails on a chalk board to me!!" With that he walked passed her and towards Buffy and her little group of friends, ignoring all the stares he was getting as he did so.

* * *

Harmony was beyond pissed. Not only had her Spike broken up with her, or did it infront of the whole school but now he was walking up to the nerd table. She watched him hawk like eyes and saw Spike bend down behind the new girl Buffy and greet her and her friends. Harmony's anger escalated. The new girl had not been new to the school for more than a week and she had stolen Harmony's property.

Spinning around on her expensive designer heels, Harmony stomped out of the Cafeteria door making the door slam loudly. Oh Buffy Summers was going to pay.

* * *

"Ello, pet." Buffy looked up to stare at Spike. Not only a minute ago had she and her friends heard an outburst coming from Harmony and Spike. He just stood behind her chair at their lunch table acting as if nothing had happened.

"Hi." Buffy said.

"I'm Spike." The British boy introduced to Faith who sat next to Buffy. Buffy watched Faith smile sexily at him.

Faith opened her mouth, "Hey Spike. What brings a sexy man like you to our table?"

"I just need to talk to Buffy about our project. Wonder if she wants to meet and work at my flat or hers." Buffy looked up at Spike and he waggled his eyebrows at her. Her anger seemed to flare up at his behavior. Spike was making it seem like he was using obvious code word for them being intimately involved. Before turning away from him again Buffy shot him a glare.

Faith noticed it and stepped in. "My uncle said we wouldn't be able to go anywhere till Friday. So it'll probably be easier if you just came to ours." It was a flat out lie but only Buffy knew that. Buffy had never been so relieved. She had no idea what could happened if she and Spike worked at his house.

Spike nodded. After getting Buffy's address from her, Spike said farewell to everyone. "I'll see you around pet."

* * *

A/N: I know this chapter seemed to be lagging. I hope that the next chapter will come about better.  
Spuffyobessed 


	8. Chapter 8 Solace

A/N: I'm just going to tell you, you should play close attention to the verse of lyrics. A part of it has to do with what happened to Buffy.

* * *

**Chapter 8: Solace**

Buffy moved about her room, making sure everything was picked up and her bedroom was clean. She stopped when she walked past her standing mirror and fixed to make sure her hair was perfect and none of her make-up was messed up. Catching her actions Buffy froze. _Whoa!_ She was actually trying to look good for Spike. He was due any minute and she seemed to be making sure all was perfect.

"So Dawn…you think we should keep the door open or closed for them?" Buffy looked to through the mirror to see Faith and her little sister standing in the doorway that lead to Faith's room. Buffy shot them a glare. She hated that they were pointing out the obvious of what she was doing. Why was she so nervous. They were just working on a project together. Simple. _Maybe because you might actually like Spike._ Buffy thought. Her other conscious argued back, _Puh-lease! You don't even know him. Could be something you don't want to get involved with._

She turned away from the mirror with frustration towards herself. Faith and Dawn both had the knowing smile. Yeah! She majorly wanted to jump Spike's bones. "Faith and I are going to go pick up some hair dye. You want anything?" Dawn asked.

Buffy looked at Buffy curiously. "You going to dye your hair?" Faith just shrugged.

"Been thinking new place new look. You need anything?" Faith asked repeating Dawn's question. Buffy shook her head. The three of them walked out of the bedroom and headed downstairs. Just as Buffy came upon the bottom landing the doorbell rang. Trying to walk as causally as possible, Buffy opened the door seeing Spike standing there all-calm looking and…sexy. As they stood there, Buffy fully gave Spike a look over. If at first glance you saw him you would think he was trouble. That if you pissed him off and walked into an alley with him you wouldn't come out alive or at least hospitalized Thought looking into his eyes Buffy didn't feel that. . It seemed to be all an act and that he wasn't always like this. She was sure if she got to know him he'd seem a lot gentler.

Coming to the conclusion that he didn't look bad the way he dressed Buffy suddenly found herself being put at ease that Spike wasn't like the guys she had known. Maybe he was different. Buffy moved to the side to let him pass. When he walked over the threshold, he stood next to her and she had to look up at him. He was a good foot taller than she was. Then again, everyone was a foot taller than her, even Dawn.

Spike turned to see Faith standing on the first step of the staircase with another girl standing right behind. "You me must be Dawn." The girl with straight brunette hair nodded her head with a bright smile. You could tell that she and Buffy were sisters. Their hair and eye color were different but their eyes and smiles were the same.

"Dawn this is Spike." Buffy said introducing Spike to her little sister.

Dawn looked him over from where he stood. He seemed to be more Faith's type than Buffy's. Which is why she was shocked when she heard Faith say that she wasn't going to pursue this one earlier. Everything he wore was black. Tight black jeans, tight black t-shirt, black doc martens, and to top it all off a long black leather duster that swept the floor. His striking blonde hair and blue eyes made him look cool. Dawn just thought he was flat out hot.

Buffy noticed Dawn checking Spike out and rolled her eyes. Though she was shocked to find Dawn found Spike cute. Usually she went after jocks or Abercrombie guys to narrow it down.

"I'm going to go get my books out of the kitchen." Buffy stated and walked out of the foyer. The minute Buffy left the room Faith stepped down from her perch on the staircase with her arms crossed over her chest. The tight red tank top showed off her well-toned arms. She walked up close to Spike with the most malice look in her eyes.

"Were going to be going out for about thirty minutes. If I get back and I find that you tried anything I will kill you." She gave him a fake innocent smile and walked out the front door. Dawn quickly followed Faith but stopped and stood next to Spike. She gave him a weary smile trying not to laugh at the shocked expression he had adopted when Faith gave him the threat.

She leaned in close and whispered while laughing, "Trust me, she means it." Quickly she scampered off following after Faith. Buffy came back a second later and didn't seem to notice that her best friend and sister had left.

"Come on." She started walking up the stairs with Spike right behind her. When they got up to her room Buffy walked in leaving Spike to follow her slowly. He looked around taking in her decoration. The walls were painted a blood red. Across where her bed stood on the wall was a black painted cross. Her dresser was cluttered with make-up, and framed pictures. There were more pictures on the wall, even a canvassed painting of a bare dead tree in an empty grass field with a low setting red sunset behind it. In the corner he spotted her acoustic guitar with sheet music laying around it.

"You play pet?" He asked her pointing to the guitar. She followed his gaze nodded with a blush. Spike walked over and picked up the sheet music. "May I?" She just nodded her head again sitting on her bed. Spike looked over her music, reading through the different songs she had written. One stood out to him and he read the verse silently.

_I tried to kill the pain  
But only brought more…so much more  
I lay dying  
And I'm pouring crimson regret and betrayal  
I'm dying dying  
Praying praying  
Bleeding bleeding  
And screaming  
Am I too lost to be saved?  
Am I too lost?_

Spike looked at the date and that was in the upper right hand corner and saw that it was written only a month ago. Had Buffy tried what this song was saying? If so, it was far from what he had expected. She seemed all bright and bubbly, okay maybe with an edge but not enough to have this dark of feeling inside her. He put the papers on the nightstand and looked at her. She was sitting on her bed now with her legs up against her chest and her arms wrapped around them hugging her legs closer to her. She looked so innocent. Her chin rested on her knees and she looked up at him with her big green eyes. In that moment, Spike wanted to kiss her. Wanted to walk over to her, lean down and just give a soft warm kiss. He fought against it though remembering what Faith had said.

_I find that you tried anything I will kill you._ With those words echoing in his mind and now have read her music he wondered what had happened to her before coming to Sunnydale. He knew it was because they needed a fresh start, but now Spike was curious as to what caused this.

"Are you okay, luv?" He asked bending down in front of her. She just nodded her head. Spike could tell her moods had changed. She wasn't the quick response bantering girl she had been yesterday. She seemed lost. "Why did you move to Sunnydale." The words came out before he could stop them. Going with it though, Spike tilted his head to the side and looked at her curiously.

"I don't want to talk about it." She turned her head away from him as if she was ashamed of herself. Spike nodded his head in understanding. He knew he would have to gain her trust before she would tell him anything. And, that was what Spike would be willing to do as long as she confided in him.

Spike got up and noticed a picture next to her lamp on the beside table. He picked it up.

"You are awfully grabby with my stuff you know that." Buffy teased. He turned back to her and noticed the smile had come back. He looked back at the table to see what looked to be a very younger Buffy, Dawn, and a woman who he had seen in her other pictures. It was in black and white with Dawn in the woman's arms and young Buffy with her arms wrapped around the woman's neck. All three had the big smiles. _It's her mom._ The smile was unmistakable. _Must be a Summers trait._

Buffy stood up to stand right behind him. She looked over his shoulder to see what he was staring at. "That's my mom. I was thirteen and Dawn was ten. We were at the park just down the street from where we lived. Giles took it." She smiled at the memory of it all. It had been a beautiful day. Her mother had loved those days because it had been raining for almost two weeks not allowing the girls to go out. The air had been clean and clear blue just like it always was after the long rain came and went.

"I you don't mind me asking, where is she?" Spike asked.

Buffy kept staring at the picture trying to relive those moment. "She died two months after that picture was taken." She said barely a higher than a whisper.

"I'm sorry pet." Spike said. He felt for her. He had gone through the same thing. Spike put the picture down and turned so he was looking down at her.

"Brain tumor. I found her dead after I got home from school. I was so freaked out…" Her words trailed off and before she could stop herself Buffy found she was telling the story.

* * *

**November 1994**

_Buffy walked into her house, waving goodbye to Faith who stood at the front of the walkway. "I'll see you in twenty minutes." She yelled out to Faith. Closing the door Buffy called for her mother. "Mommy! Where are you?" Buffy dropped her backpack next to the coat rack by the front door. "Faith and Giles are going to come get me in twenty minutes to go see The Santa Claus movie." Buffy searched for her mother in the kitchen and the dinging room but couldn't find her. She walked into the living room and stopped. "Mo-m….mommy?"_

_Her mother laid on the couch as if she had fallen on it. Her eyes were wide open and they seemed to be looking at Buffy. The look on her mothers face was just blank. Empty. Nothing. Like death. Slowly Buffy Summers walked towards the couch. She touched her mother's leg. Cold. Buffy tried to get away as fast as she could, stumbling backwards she fell onto her bum but still kept crawling away all the while not taking her eyes off her mother's._

_Scooting back to the corner Buffy let out a choking sob. Pulling her legs up tightly to her chest she screamed. Her mother….the woman who gave her life was dead. __**Dead.**__ The words sounded horrible just hearing them in her head. It echoed throughout her mind but. __**Dead. Your mother is dead.**__ Buffy clasped her hands to her ears as if it would make the voice stop. She looked back up at where her mother still laid hoping that she had imagined it. Imagined that her mother wasn't cold like she had been. Sadly, it hadn't changed. The look on her mother's face hadn't faltered. She was dead._

_Buffy let the tears flow freely then crying for the passing of Joyce Summers._

_She didn't know how long she just sat there in the corner of the living room like that. Buffy hadn't even heard the knocking twenty minutes later. The light rapping had turned into banging and all Buffy wanted to do was call out to who ever it was to come in but could not find the voice to do it._

_She turned her head to see Giles walk in and find her sitting there in the corner Faith followed. The tears hadn't stopped and when they new arrivals saw what Buffy had been staring at for the past twenty minutes they too began to cry. Faith walked over to Buffy slowly and sat down next to her. The brunette friend pulled Buffy close to her having her head rest on her shoulder, hugging her tight. All Buffy remembered of that solace time, was Faith's words of comfort. Two girls cried together. One for her real mother and the other for closest thing she ever had of a caring one._

* * *

No words were spoken. They sat in silence cross-legged on the bed. Suddenly Spike reached over and hugged the girl. She didn't push away just let him hug her and tell her he was sorry for what she had gone through.

To Buffy's surprise, she felt safe and warm in his arms. She breathed in and could find the traces of leather and cigarettes. A very odd, comforting smell on him.

Spike felt like heaven was in his arms. She seemed to fit perfectly in every nook and cranny and he believed that this little blonde was made for him. He could smell her shampoo. Lavender. Sweet.

They pulled apart. "I know how you feel kitten. My mum died when I was ten years old"

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I miss her a lot just like you miss your mom." Spike said. Buffy smiled. "So what happened to you da'"

Buffy shrugged. "Didn't want me and Dawnie after my mom died. They'd been divorced for about two years before then. He walked out on us." She told him. "Doesn't matter, I like living with Giles much more."

"You and I seem to have a bloody lot in common. My dad walked out on me and my mum when I was just a little tike. Don't know where the bastard is and I hope it stays that way."

"Who do you live with?"

"My aunt. Real sweet woman." He said actually telling the truth. They argued sometimes but she was the closest thing to his mom so he cared for her.

They sat there in silence for a moment. Neither expecting to have told so much. Deciding it best to change the subject Buffy stood up and walked over to her desk to grab the book Macbeth.

"Guess we should get started huh?" She asked. Spike nodded. They got comfortable sprawled out on the bed and began to work out their project.

Almost an hour later Faith and Dawn had arrived back with a bag full of things. They went to their respected rooms and began to start on their own homework. By the time Giles had gotten back, Buffy and Spike had decided to call it quits. It was interesting to watch the introduction between Giles and Spike. Both Faith and Dawn had come out of their rooms to see the two British men size the other up.

Spike could tell the British librarian didn't like the teenage bad boy. Probably because he didn't trust anyone who looked like Spike to get near his girls. Hell Spike wouldn't either. Finally, Buffy was able to stop the testosterone going through the room. She began to walk Spike out.

"Well I guess I'll see you tomorrow in class." Buffy said feeling suddenly shy. It was like they had just come back on a date with her standing in front of the door and him standing no the porch. Spike nodded. Without thinking he leant down and kissed her on the cheek. Waving farewell Spike walked to his car.

Once inside Buffy leant against the closed door and sighed. Even though it was just a kiss on the cheek, it made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

* * *

A/N: Just incase theres some confusion, I'm making everything based off of Buffy time, not present days. The song lyric is from Evanescence's Tourniquet. Good song I suggest hearing it fully if you want. Hope you liked the chapter. My spuffy moments to come. Please Review.  
Spuffyobsessed 


	9. Chapter 9 Strawberries & Blushes

A/N: Here is chapter nine. I think you might be happy with what it entails. Thought do pay attention very closely to what Spike says through out the chapter if you want to get an idea of what Spike's past is about.

* * *

**Chapter 9: Strawberries and blushes**

By Thursday Buffy and Spike were almost done with their project. Today they had decided they'd work at his place. Faith wasn't too happy about and neither was Giles but they didn't voice their opinions except to each other. Dawn on the other hand was excited even though she wouldn't be seeing Spike. The day before she had spied in on the two blondes. They had been both laying across the bed shoulder to shoulder, working, but you could see the chemistry between when ever they looked up from their work and into each other's eyes. Of course when Dawn had confronted Buffy about it after Spike had left, Buffy had denied anything was going on between them.

Even her new friends could tell there was something. Willow always found them flirting during English Literature. The red head just wished they'd get together already.

Spike's friends on the other hand weren't too happy with him. Well Gunn and Devon didn't give a damn but it was the others that did. Mainly Cordelia, Darla, and Harmony. Though he didn't care.

It was after school and he was walking down the hall when he spotted Buffy at her locker with her back to anyone who passed by. Slowly Spike walked up behind her and placed his hand on the locker next to hers near her head. He saw her tense up and her back go straight. She turned around and looked up at him with wide eyes. He leaned forward as if he was going to kiss her again but instead moved to whisper into her ear.

"Miss me?" He noticed her shiver and Spike couldn't hold the chuckle in. Gaining some composure, Buffy glared at him.

"You know there's this thing kind called personal space sometimes also known as a bubble. Some people tend to not like when people invade it. I just happen to one of those people." Her eyes shot fire at him. She spun back around and continued to get her things organized all the while trying not to think of Spike standing that close behind her. Being daring Spike trailed his fingers from her neck down feeling the silk of her shirt.

Feeling his fingers on her back Buffy began to suddenly panic. "Spike please don't." She said barely in a whisper. Quickly his hand dropped away from her and he moved to lean on the lockers next to her.

He sighed before saying, "Are you ready to go pet? I figured we might as well go to my place now. Together."

"Okay, but no seducing me." She pointed her finger at him trying not to giggle.

Spike scoffed with mock hurt. "Please kitten if anyone should worry about being seduced by the other I think it should be me." He waggled his eyebrows at her. Buffy snorted out a laugh. She slammed her locker shut and began to walk away.

"Coming bleach boy?" She called behind. Spike watched her hips sway naturally. He groaned and pushed off the lockers.

"Oh how I wish I was."

* * *

"Oh you have to have got to be kidding me." Buffy stated in disbelief. Spike just walked past her and began to unlock his car. It was a huge. All black with chrome rims. It was a monster. The thing would be something her grandfather would have drove.

"Don't insult my baby," He said with a slight glare. "I found this car at a junk yard-"

"It should have stayed there." Buffy remarked. However, the car looked better now than it probably had when he found it in the junk yard. Buffy had to give him that much.

He pointed his finger at her. "Your walking on a thin line kitten, I'd watch it if I were you. Now be a good girl and get in."

Hesitantly Buffy pulled herself into the passenger seat of the car after talking herself into believing that she was not going to die in this hunk of metal. The seats were black and white leather. Grabbing a pack of cigarettes off the dashboard, he placed one in his mouth and lit it. Buffy scrunched up her nose. Gunning the engine he pulled out of the school parking lot.

"Don't give me that look." He said to the look of disgust on cigarettes she had on her face. She knew he smoked but she didn't expect him to do it in front of her.

"When did you start smoking?"

"I picked it up when I was in a place for a couple months." He said blowing the smoke out of his mouth. He rolled down the window to air out the car for her.

"Where was that?" She asked innocently. He peered over at her curiously cautious to still keep an eye on the road.

"Maybe I'll tell you one day." Spike told her keeping a tight lip. Figuring out that he wasn't going to tell her anytime soon she turned her head to look out the window all the while trying to enjoy the loud screaming punk music blaring out of the car stereo.

* * *

Buffy walked through the threshold of Spikes home. It had a very modern but warming feel to it. All over the place, art was hung on walls of all sorts. There were different artifacts of cultures placed in the home making it even have a cultural feel. Three large bookcases resided in the living room were filled with classics. Giles would love it.

"You have a nice place. It reminds me of the house we lived in with my mom. Warm and loving." Buffy said smiling.

Spike shrugged out of his duster and hung it on a hook near the door. He took Buffy's as well and spoke, "Yeah my aunt tried to make it feel that way as much as possible."

Silently he led her upstairs towards his room. When he opened the door, Buffy had to adjust her eyes. It was almost completely dark, though she didn't expect it not to be. Black walls, black drapes, and black bedding. There were posters of the Sex Pistols, The Ramones, and other choice punk bands that she had never heard of. In the corner of the room was his dresser. A stereo stood on it with massive stacks of CD's surrounding it. There were a pile of clothes in another corner of the room. _Typical. Guy could never put his clothes away._

There was a picture on the his dresser and like he had done with her room Buffy walked over to it and picked it up. It was in a silver frame and a picture of a very beautiful with a little boy. Her eyes were big and blue. Her hair a golden blonde sort of like Buffy's.

"That's my mum and me." Spike said walking over to her. He pushed his hands through his hair.

He could see the ghost of a smile on her lips. "She's beautiful." Spike smiled back at her.

"You know luv, you remind me about her a lot." He hesitantly cupped her cheek in his hand. Tracing her cheek with his thumb, he looked into her eyes. She shivered.

Buffy found whenever she looked into those beautiful, striking blue eyes; she felt that he was practically reading into her soul and it rather scared her. The only one to ever know what she was feeling by just her expression, even when she was hiding it, was Faith. But, she and Faith had known each other almost their whole life. Now here this guy that she had known not even a week was bringing almost every emotion she ever felt up to the surface. She was finding it harder and harder to hide them and that was starting to piss her off.

"Spike the project." She practically whimpered out.

"Shh pet. Just want to see if you taste sweet." He said each word as he got closer. Placing another hand on her other cheek he pulled her closer. Buffy closed her eyes and waited. Softly his lips pressed against hers. She didn't react at first but as he opened his mouth slightly to run his tongue across her lip Buffy threw out all her inhibitions. Wrapping her arms around his neck Buffy pushed up on her tippy toes and opened her lips to give him more access to her mouth. Buffy moaned and felt her knees go weak as their tongues explored each other's mouth. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he supported her closer to him.

She felt better in his arms now than she had on Tuesday when they hugged. He didn't think he could get enough of her but eventually they both had to breathe. Their kiss ended but his hands stayed firmly in place on her hips. Spike took in the sight of her. She was breathing heavily, her lips slightly swollen from their kiss, and her face flushed.

He leaned down. "Taste like strawberries." He said whispering into her ear. Slowly he began to place kisses on neck and Buffy couldn't keep in the soft moan.

"Spike…" He moved to look at her. She was trying rather hard to gain control of her bearings. Dropping his hands to his own side Spike nodded.

"Right. Work now…play later." He gave her wink before turning to gather the books they needed. _Bloody damn easier said than done._

* * *

Buffy glued the last picture of their display onto the poster board just as Spike said he was done and pressed print. She got up from his comfortable bed and walked over to where he sat his desk. He had been typing up their essay part of the project while Buffy worked on the part they would actually present to the class. It was currently 5:30.

"Finally. For once I've actually finished a project days before its even due." Buffy said rather proud of her own self. Spike smirked up at her. He stood up and pulled her close before she could protest. _And now its time to play._ He thought wickedly as he put his lips against Buffy's. Again, she didn't protest and simply gave in.

No one heard the front door open and close, or the Spike's name being called. Neither paid attention to the feet that could be heard pushing up the steps. They did how ever hear the adult clearing of the throat and uncomfortable cough. Instantly they pulled apart practically moving across the floor the bedroom entirely.

"Hello Aunt Jenny." Spike greeted his young aunt who had just caught him and Buffy kissing. Buffy looked up and to her horror she found her art teacher to be Spike's mysterious aunt.

Buffy's hands flew up to hide her face in as if this would hide her from the embarrassment itself. Her art teacher who Spike had failed to mention was his aunt, just caught them practically on the verge of a full make-out session. She had very many reasons to be embarrassed.

"Hello William. Hello Buffy." Ms. Calendar greeted her new student in a sweet voice. She tried to not laugh at the girl's obvious discomfort and embarrassment. Buffy spread her fingers that rested over her eyes so she could peak out.

"Hello Ms. Calendar." Buffy squeaked out.

Spike couldn't help but laugh at what had just happened. It was bloody hilarious. Buffy shot him a glare but he didn't.

"Oh William stop laughing at Buffy." His aunt scolded.

"Buffy and I were just working on an English project." Spike said with a fake innocent smile. Jenny gave her nephew the 'i-may-be-old-but-not-dumb'look.

"Seeing as I have made my presence known I'm going to go downstairs and get a cup of tea. Would either of you like a cup?"

Buffy shook her head and gave a polite no-thank you. Spike just shook his head. Jenny turned away with a smile, happy that she had caught the two. She had noticed in class along with everyone the attraction they felt for each other. Jenny Calendar believed that they would be very good for each other. She had already fallen in love with the girl. She had heard students gossip that she was the adopted daughter of Rupert Giles the new librarian. She had also heard that Buffy and the niece of Rupert Giles had gotten into much trouble in their school in L.A. However, Ms. Calendar didn't see that with Buffy. She saw a girl who just seemed to care.

Spike was still chuckling even with his aunt out of the room. Buffy walked over to him and slapped him upside the head. "Ey now. What the bloody hell was that for."

Buffy kept glaring at him. "You know what for!" She raised her arm to hit again but he caught her wrist in his grasp. His fingers rubbed against the leather wristband she wore on her wrist and he brought her closer.

"Now, now kitten violence isn't the answer." Spike scolded. Buffy pushed away from him but he held firm. Pulling her flush against his body, Spike crashed his lips down on hers for a more passionate kiss. When he pulled away, Buffy gasped for breath.

He made a move to begin kissing her neck again but Buffy placed her hand on his chest to stop him. "Spike your aunt who is both our art teacher is just downstairs." He gave him the firm look.

"Pet she's not going to come back up here." He leaned in again to kiss her but she pushed back,

"Spike please I don't feel comfortable doing this still when your aunt just caught us." Buffy stated seriously. She didn't know how she was going to handle facing Ms. Calendar when she walked downstairs or even when she went to class tomorrow.

Spike sighed knowing best not to push a woman into something she wasn't comfortable with doing. "Alright. Do you want me to take you home?" Knowing their time together had come to an end. Buffy nodded her head.

"That would be great." After gathering her stuff both her and Spike walked downstairs.

"Oh, Buffy are you heading home?" Ms. Calendar asked walking in from the kitchen. Buffy pushed her backpack up her shoulder more and smiled. "Yes. My uncle will probably start to worry if I don't get back before six."

"Alrighty. Well I'll guess I'll see you in class. And Buffy dear don't be embarrassed." Ms. Calendar assured her giving her a gentle pat on her arm. Buffy couldn't help but blush.

"I'm just going to drive Buffy home and I'll be back." Spike tole his Aunt Jenny.

"Ok, drive safe."

The drive home had been silent. It made both Buffy and Spike feel really uncomfortable but still neither said anything to break the deafening silence. He pulled up outside of Buffy's house. Turning so he faced her Buffy he touched Buffy's arm before she could leave.

"I want to see you Buffy….well…God I'm sounding like a ponce." He said stumbling over his words. Buffy smiled seeing his nervousness as a relief. "I want to see you well officially." Buffy nodded her head having the feeling that she wanted that too. Spike let out a heavy sigh. "Cool. So are you free tomorrow."

Buffy shook her head negatively. "No I'm going to the bronze with the others." Spike bent his down almost in defeat. "But…if you meet me there I'm sure the others won't mind." This time Buffy gave him a smirk.

"Ok. I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Okay. Bye Spike." She then leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. It was just for a second but it was enough to get Spike through the night. Buffy pulled herself out of the car and walked to the front door. Before opening it and walking in she gave Spike a small wave. He pulled away once she closed the door.

Like she had Tuesday night, Buffy leaned against the front door and smiled.

"Hey B." Faith said walking in from the kitchen and biting into the apple. "What's with the grin that kiddo would usually get when she found a new love?" Faith noted her best friend's expression.

Buffy just smiled and began to walk upstairs. As she passed Faith she whispered silently. "We kissed."

"What?!?! How? Good kisser or bad kisser?" Faith asked wanting all the juicy details. Buffy just kept walking up the steps. "B! You have to tell me."

Buffy turned around in the middle of the staircase. She gave her a wicked smile. "I don't kiss and tell." She spun around and continued. Ignoring Faith's please the whole time.

* * *

Spike walked into his house ten minutes later. His aunt was sitting on the couch with TV on and was sketching something in her sketchpad. Spike came up and sat next to her on the couch.

Jenny noted that her nephew had a stupid lovesick grin on his face. Putting her sketch pencil down Jenny Calendar turned to Spike.

"Well I guess it would be a stupid question to ask if you like Buffy." Spike nodded. "And, she likes you I take it."

"Well she did say yes to when I asked her out so I bloody hope so."

"She seems like a very nice girl. No offense but a lot better than your other girlfriends."

Spike stood up. "Yep I know. Complete opposite."

"She seems to have attitude but I believe to think its all because of her past. Really, she's just a small girl trying to make it through life. Don't you think so?"

Spike ran his hands through his hair. "You have no idea how right you know I think that."

"Her uncle told me that her and his niece Faith I believe her name is, has had a very rough time the past year." Jenny said giving him a hint of what she had apiece on and he didn't. "So Spike for the sake of your life seeing as Mr. Giles would probably kill you if you hurt her, I urge you not to." With that, Jenny picked up her sketchpad.

"I wouldn't dream of it." And it was true. Spike believed he was falling for Buffy and falling hard. "I'm going to go finish my homework."

Jenny nodded. "Don't forget that you have a meeting tomorrow after lunch. So remember to dress nicely." His aunt reminded him. Spike simply nodded his head and walked upstairs.

* * *

A/N: I know Ms. Calendar is the computer teacher in the show but I wanted Buffy to have an older woman/mother figure she could easily talk to.  
Well there it is their going out on a date. Just to get your wheels turning try and think of what Spike's meeting could be about. You will find out in the next two chapters. Like I say in all my chapters, please review.  
Spuffyobsessed 


	10. Chapter 10 Back to old habits

**Chapter 10: Beginning to go back to old habits**

"_Just let me go you fucking bastard!!!" Buffy screamed at the top of her lungs. She tried every move she had been taught to get someone off her but it was no use. He was too much bigger and stronger than she was. He just laughed as he always did in her nightmares and Buffy couldn't help but cry at her realization of defeat...again. "Faith!!! Dawn!!! Somebody help me!!!"_

_"Will you just shut the fuck up?" He screamed at her slapping her to silence her screams. "No ones going to save you now. Not even your new lover boy."_

_She hated feeling like this. The feeling of being trapped. Being held down. She just wanted to be free. Was that too much to ask for?_

_"Spike!!!!" She called for him as if he would come. He got off her with an annoyed growl and walked out of the room. Buffy sighed when she thought she was safe for. Taking advantage of the time she had, Buffy began to yank at the restraints. The rope was rubbing raw into the wrists of her skin leaving chaffing marks. A minute later, he came in and threw the dark clad body on the ground. Lifting the head up to make Buffy see his new captor the young girl stared in horror into the two blue eyes that she had been lost to. __**Spike...no just leave him alone.**__ Buff thought inside._

_"You scream one more time I'll kill him. Cut right across his throat." He said to her and she noticed the knife right under her Spike's throat. All Buffy could do was sob._

* * *

Buffy sat up gasping for air. She quickly turned on the lights so she no longer was in the dark. Looking around she sighed happily when she found she was back in her room and not dreaming. She ran her hands through her hair trying to calm herself down. _Why? Why can't these dreams just go away?_ Buffy thought as a few tears fell down her cheeks.

She figured over time they would. That the man of her nightmares would just stop showing up, and she would get a restful night of sleep for more than one night in a row. Images, real and nightmares flew into her head and she pressed her hands to her temple, concentrating hard to make them go away. She thought being away from Los Angeles would maybe stop them from plaguing her but she was wrong.

Getting up quietly Buffy padded softly across her room and out to the bathroom. Turning the light on, Buffy switched the faucet on the sink on. She looked at herself in the mirror, studying herself intently. At night, she looked like a wreck. Just like after that moment five months ago. Her hair messed up, her eyes puffy from crying, and her clothes askew. Cupping her hands under the faucet Buffy bent down to splash water on her face. The cold water felt refreshing against her skin. Looking back at herself in the mirror, Buffy watched herself burst into tears. _I just want everything to go back to normal._Slipping to her knees Buffy just let herself cry on the bathroom floor. She stayed like that until the sun began to rise.

* * *

Faith watched Buffy closely. Since she had gotten up, Buffy seemed to be rather quiet. A lot different from when she had been after getting back from Spike's. Faith figured she had one of her nightmares again.

For once Faith didn't know what to do. She couldn't really beat something this time to make Buffy feel safe. The doctors had said she'd move on from it over time. They just couldn't push her and she'd have to express it in anyway possible. Faith just hoped she wouldn't do it in a horrible way. And, the brunette wouldn't always be there all the time to make sure she was safe.

When Buffy had come home for once, she had seen the smile in her eyes that hadn't been there in a really long time. Maybe Spike wasn't such a bad guy after all. What she had seen of him the past week he wasn't like regular guys. The look was just a scare tactic. Though she was still going to keep an eye on him.

Buffy walked downstairs and into the kitchen where Dawnie and Faith sat at the counter island eating breakfast. "Hey sis, what's up this morning?" Dawn asked giving Buffy's outfit a peculiar look. Buffy self-consciously looked down at herself. She was wearing Faith's red leather pants, black heeled boots, and a white wife beater tank top. She had on her usual leather band around her wrist and was wearing a black choker on her neck. Her make-up was much darker around the eyes and she still wore her usual red lipstick.

"What?" Buffy pouted not liking the look she was getting from both girls.

Faith just chuckled and walked to the fridge. Dawn answered instead. "I don't know you just seem different.You look like a blonde version of Faith. Really you look like your old self." Dawn said with a smile. Buffy shrugged grabbing a box of cereal.

"Well just incase you don't remember, I do dress like this normally. Ok maybe I'm a lot darker now than I have been but I figured I might as well go back to my old self as you referred to me. You know…to help me."

Faith looked at Buffy until a light bulb seemed to go off in her head. She knew exactly what could help Buffy cope with her all her problems. Why hadn't she thought of it when she and Dawn were at the drugstore, she could have gotten it then. Smiling evilly Faith began to come up with the idea of pulling it off.

* * *

Buffy sat in her art class wondering where the hell was he was. It was way past the normal time he usually got there late. Spike had yet to shown up to art. Not that she was waiting for him. _Liar. Yes you are._

The bleached blonde had been in English, she knew that because of the dropped jaw and lustful look in his eyes when she had walked in. Really she didn't see the big deal, she seemed the same.

Now he hadn't shown up for the second class they shared and Buffy began to worry. _What if he doesn't show up to the Bronze tonight?_ Buffy began to mentally slap herself. There were tons of reasons why wasn't there.

She definitely didn't want to ask Ms. Calendar. It was already bad enough when she had walked into the classroom Ms. Calendar had a knowing smirk. She now could see where Spike got it. Throughout the whole class she had been trying to avoid talking to her teacher just working on her painting that she had decided to do for her make-up project. Of course Ms. Calendar was walking around the room observing and she'd once in awhile say 'Good job Buffy' but she probably understood that Buffy still felt embarrassed for being caught the night before.

Calming down and trying to refocus on what she was painting, Buffy just concluded that she could ask him tonight. _No point in worrying Summers_

* * *

"B! Get your ass in here." Buffy heard Faith scream from the bathroom across from her room. Buffy came seconds later to find Faith with a bunch of products set up on the bathroom counter and seemed to be hair dye.

"What you need help?" She asked Faith. Faith didn't say anything, just grabbed Buffy by the shoulders and directed her to sit on the top of the toilet seat. "What the hell?" Faith grabbed something from her back pocket and pulled out a picture, shoving it into Buffy's face.

"You are going back to your old self and this is just one of the many steps." Buffy took the picture and looked it. It was almost a year and a half old. Her and Faith were next to each other standing on a park bench and doing some odd superstar pose. She looked the same with only one difference. Her hair. Instead of it being all-blonde, it was red on the bottom layer and most of the tips. Half way through her junior year she had let it grow out and go back to blonde.

"Faith I can't." Buffy argued.

"Yes you can. We both know what the cause of you going back to blonde was and now were going to back to it with red as if nothing happened."

It took almost ten minutes for Faith to finally talk Buffy into letting her do her hair. Of course she had kept arguing the whole process. Finally Faith told her to shut it or she'd purposefully mess up.

"Buffy!" Dawn screamed running into the bathroom. Faith was applying the red dye to the chunk of her. She stopped when she saw what was going on. "Are you going back to your old hair?" Buffy nodded her head. "Cool. Anyway, Giles wants to know when you and Faith will be back. If you don't tell him, then he said he won't let you guys go out."

"Tell uncle-g that we'll be back by one." Faith told Dawn. "Ok B, you just have to let it sit for about twenty minutes and then you rinse it out."

"I know I've done it before."

Buffy got up and walked back to her room where she continued to finish her project from where she had been so rudely interrupted. Letting herself get lost as she painted Buffy didn't even notice the time pass by until Faith stuck her head into her room and told her to again get her ass back into the bathroom.

Following Faith's instructions to get down on her knees in front of the bathtub. She screeched when she felt Faith dunk her head under the water spout and cold water fell onto her head and neck.

"Damnit Faith the least you could do is make it warm water." She screamed from under the faucet.

"Oh calm down Buffy. It's not that bad." She heard Buffy grumble something but ignored it. Finally washing out all the excess dye

Buffy kicked Faith out of the bathroom and then hopped in the shower to get ready for tonight. She came out of her bathroom ten minutes later and walked to her room wrapped in a towel. As far as she could tell even with her hair drenching and stringy, the red dye looked well.

She began first to do her make-up, choosing to do her eyeliner heavy again. Applying green eye shadow to bring out her eyes, Buffy delicately put on a light lipstick. She looked over at her clock noticing she only had ten minutes before Willow and Xander were due to pick her and Faith up. She did her hair quickly straightening it, adding mouse to give it volume, and then applying gel to the tips to give it an edge look. Faith came in dressed and all dolled up as Buffy began to go through her closet trying to decide what she could wear.

"So…you nervous?" Faith questioned jumping onto Buffy's bed and going through the clothes Buffy had already declined and thrown on her bed.

"No, of course not"

"Yeah sure B." Faith walked over to dresser and rifled through her make-up. "If your not nervous then, mind if I give Spike the old sister talk."

"Faith! You can not do that talk." Buffy squeaked. "Promise me."

Her best friend let out an aggravated sigh. "Fine. I promise." Buffy didn't notice that Faith was crossing her fingers behind her back.

* * *

The five of them, Buffy, Faith, Willow, Xander, and Anya, walked into the Bronze. It was crowded like no other with teenagers they all recognized from Sunnydale High. Music from the D.J. played and Buffy guessed it was just until the band would start playing.

The whole drive there Buffy and Faith had been amused by Anya's blunt talking of orgasms and how Xander gave the best. When she began to go into detail is when the rest of the girls stopped her.

They all continued to walk into the club trying to locate a table. Seeing Andrew, Fred, and Tara waving them over, they moved to sit down.

"Buffy…I…real-ly like your hair." Tara said with a slight shy stutter. Buffy gave her a warm smile blushing.

"Thanks." Buffy said accepting the compliment as she ran her hands through her hair. A few minutes later, Xander and Andrew got up and took orders for drinks and heading towards the bar.

Buffy looked around her. It was rather large with tables set up on the outside of the dance floor that was in front of a stage. A bad was off to one side and to the other side was a staircase leading up to a rafter balcony that looked over the table.

Faith got up and took off her jacket. "Anyone want to head to the floor and get dirty?" The four girls not including Buffy looked at each other before shaking their heads no, not having the confidence to go out there and dance like what Faith was suggesting. Faith just shrugged. She looked at Buffy with a big smile. "Come on B, I know you want to go out there and do what we use to so love to do."

With out a word Buffy looked at the other girls asking if they sure they didn't want to join before heading away from the table. The girls weren't even at the dance floor before they began to move to the music. People spread apart like the red sea allowing the two newcomers to get to the middle of the dance floor. Buffy began to dance sexily moving close to Faith. Together they grinded, getting lost in the beat.

Guys began to flock around them but they ignored them. Faith let some move against her but Buffy pushed them away. They weren't Spike. Throwing her head back Buffy closed her eyes getting more lost in the music. She loved dancing. A chance to feel different.

A pair of arms wrapped around her waist and just as Buffy was going to turn around and push the guy away a cool British voice whispered into her ears. "Good evening my sexy vixen." Feeling her stomach do a bunch of flips Buffy spun around and found the sexy blue eyes.

Not a moment was wasted as he leaned down to give her a very passionate kiss. She moaned into his mouth pulling him closer. Other men looked at Spike with an angry jealous look but they were attention was quickly diverted by the blonde's previous dance partner. Faith shook her head rolling eyes at the making-out antics of the two blondes in the middle of the dance floor.

Spike pulled away breathing heavily. He looked her over, and she could see the hungry look in his eyes. She smiled when he ran his fingers through her hair. "Love the red." He grinned and Buffy just smiled.

"Decided I'd go back to old looks." She explained. She began to feel the beat again as the song changed. Slowly she moved her hips against Spike's looking up into his eyes. He groaned and slowly he began to move with her, his hands roaming her waist and hips. Again Buffy let herself get lost to the music but this time in warm comfortable arms.

* * *

A/N: Well theres the leading up to their date. Next chapter it will be better. I got the idea of making Buffy's old/new hair color from one of the pictures I found of Sarah Michelle Gellar. Figured it might suit into the story. Please Review.  
Spuffyobsessed 


	11. First Date to First Knockout

**Chapter 11: First date to first knockout **

"Harmony if you held any tighter onto your glass it would break." Cordelia teased in a singsong voice. Harmony simply whipped towards Cordelia and gave her an evil glare.

"How dare she!" Harmony screeched slamming her drink on the table. Turning her glares towards someone else, Harmony watched them. They were dancing on the dance floor. _Fucking more like it!_ Harmony had watched as Spike had come in and walk up to her a few minutes later. They had practically making out on the dance floor before they started to grind like there was no tomorrow. _Little tramp!_ Harmony thought throwing daggers at Little Miss Buffy's back.

She bet Spike broke up with her to get to her Harmony thought over angrily. She would get Spike back and Buffy wasn't going to know what hit her. She was co-cheerleader captain. No one messed with Harmony Campbell and got away with it.

Spike was in heaven. The little ball of energy dancing in his arms was sending off every hormone in his teenage body.

He had arrived only five minutes ago. He had spotted her mates sitting at the table but didn't see her and figured she hadn't arrived yet. Not up to feeling bloody uncomfortable with Red and the others while he waited for Buffy, Spike sat at the bar and ordered a drink. He had been sipping his drink when he saw a familiar flash of golden hair coming from the middle of the dance floor. Turning, Spike had thought he saw her but dismissed it when he saw streaks of red in her hair. That is until the blonde turned around and began to grind up against a familiar brunette. Realizing that the brunette was Faith and the blonde with red streaks was Buffy Spike had hopped off his stool and had fought through the crowd to make it to her.

When she had turned towards him Spike felt floored. She looked bloody amazing. Wearing a blood red tight fitting dress that came to the middle of her upper thighs she wore knee high heels making her like the sweetest little devil he had ever laid eyes upon. The new red streaks caught him off guard but found they suited her. He couldn't help it, he just kissed her.

Now they were on the dance floor dancing rather inappropriately but no one cared. They were all doing the same. Faith stood few feet away dancing up a storm with who came near her. Grasping Buffy's hips Spike looked around and noticed other guys watching Buffy's hips and the rest of her body with lust filling their eyes. The look would have been completed if their tongues were hanging out of their mouths making them seem like real dogs. _My girl._ Spike incoherently thought as he placed his hand behind Buffy's head and brought her in for another passionate kiss as to show to other guys she was off limits.

The song came to an end and everyone began to leave the dance floor as someone walked onto the stage. Buffy and Spike walked hand in and hand with Faith back to the large table. Xander raised his eyebrow at the sight of Spike walking towards their table. When they Spike sat down he brought Buffy into his own lap before she could sit in the chair next to him.

"Hi Spike." Willow greeted with a smile. She was glad to see the two blondes acting so…close. Spike turned and nodded a greeting back to her.

"ello Red." After a round of introductions were made Buffy turned to Spike.

"How come you weren't in art today?" She asked him.

"Had a meeting with someone." He wrapped his arms around her.

Buffy noticed the others except Faith begin whispering to each other. "What are you guys whispering about?" Xander placed his hand over Anya's mouth so she wouldn't speak out. Anya Jenkins threw a glare at her boyfriend.

Willow sat up straight. "NOTHING!" She squeaked out. Buffy didn't believe her. In the week, she had known Willow she had come to terms that Willow was just a bad liar. Her face would get all flushed, her eyes would move around afraid to make eye contact with anyone, and she's start babbling and speaking loudly. This was what the red head was beginning to do. "Oh look Oz is about to start." Willow practically screamed out of nervousness. Everyone fell silent as the band Dingoes ate my babies came out on stage. There were a round of loud cheers for the local band.

Waiting for the screaming to die down is when they began. Buffy bobbed her head to the music thinking that Oz and his band were good. She looked over at Spike to see him drumming his fingers against the table. He smiled at her and pulled her to lean her back against his chest. Buffy surprisingly snuggled close, trying to keep her nervous jitters down.

The Dingoes played four almost half an hour and when they finished everyone let out cheers and screams. Oz put his bass down and jumped off the stage with Devon who was the Dingoes lead singer and together they walked to the table. Spike gave Devon a high five and nod to Oz.

"Oz you were great." Buffy complimented. Oz just shrugged and moved to sit next to Willow. It wasn't long before Buffy noticed Devon and Faith chatting together. Flirting between them was obvious.

"So, Buffster. Tell us about ole' mysterious you." Xander said. "You and Faith never really gave us the low down."

"Maybe because she didn't want Xander Harris." Anya scolded her boyfriend for meddling into someone's past.

"Well…I just….we all want to know what the two lovely ladies were like before coming to hell town." Xander argued.

Tara spoke up. "I know I would…I mean…if you don't mind telling."

Buffy looked to Faith unsure of what to say. Quickly Faith stepped in. "Basically we B and I have been friends since little kids and lets just we got into trouble a lot."

Buffy snorted a laugh. "We still do." Everyone laughed.

"So my girl was a rebel? Explains the hair." Spike said twirling one of her red tips strand around his finger. Buffy smiled shyly.

"So I'm your girl?"

Spike nodded his head and leant up to give her a sweet kiss. Xander let them enjoy it for a moment before coughing loudly. Suddenly the brunette guy felt a kick from under the table.

"Ow! Anya what was that for?" He accused Anya knowing exactly who that was.

"Your ruining their foreplay to good orgasms."

"Ew. Too much imagery Anya." Fred spoke for the first time that night. Everyone looked to her shocked and she blushed and averted her eyes to her lap.

"I'm going to go to the bathroom. Anyone want to go?" Buffy said. "Girls I mean." She pushed Spike back into his seat when he began to get up at her statement. Spike waggled his eyebrows at her. Rolling her eyes Buffy looked around the table.

All the girls besides Faith stood up. They began walking to the bathroom but Buffy stopped next to Faith and gave her a pointed look. "Don't even think about it."

Her best friend smiled at her. "Don't worry B. I'll play nice." Buffy couldn't help but laugh her disbelief before walking away. As soon as the blonde was out hearing distance Faith stood up and stepped over to stand in front of Spike, blocking his view of Buffy walking to the bathroom.

"Listen up and listen up good because I don't have a lot of time so I'm going to make this quick. I get that you have something with Buffy going on right now but right now I want to know your intentions with the girl who is like a sister to me." Before Spike could react she placed her arm on his neck pinning him to the chair. "And let me tell you if I hear something I don't like I will choke you to death."

Spike looked at her with disbelief. "Look fire cracker, I don't want to do anything bad to Buffy. I actually care for her. I promise I will not hurt the bird."

Faith released him, she ignored the shocked look on Xander, Devon, and Andrew's face. Oz on the other hand was just calm. It was Oz. "I will admit I had a bad past but I will not let that get to Buffy." Spike said. Faith didn't question him further on his past. To her everyone had dark shadows. "So are we cool?" Spike asked rubbing his neck.

"Were five by five." She turned around to follow the girls to the bathroom. To her, Spike had her blessing to see Buffy that is until he broke his promise. And if that happened Faith would just have to deal with him.

Spike watched Buffy's best friend walk away. It was obvious the girl cared very much for Buffy and from what he had observed of Buffy, he could see why.

"That woman is whoa!" exclaimed Devon.

"What about Cordelia mate?" Spike asked smirking at his friend.

"Cordelia who?" It was obvious Devon was dumbstruck by Faith.

The guys decided to get into a game of pool. Xander was racking up the balls. Spike looked over and noticed the Andrew bloke was staring at him. Rather infatuatedly. Shaking it off Spike grabbed a pool stick and began to chalk it up.

"The girls are on their way back." Xander pointed out. "You never got the reason why girls went in big pacts to the bathroom."

"I think it's a safety thing man. You know like at camp they always whacked it into our brain that we couldn't go off without a buddy. You know 'always take a buddy'." Devon bent down to take the first shot.

No one noticed someone step in front of Buffy until Oz spoke up and pointed it. "Spike, I think Buffy has a problem." Spike whipped around to see Buffy standing almost two yards away with Harmony blocking her way. He couldn't hear the words being exchanged but knew if Harmony was there they weren't going to be good.

"Oh bloody hell!"

"You bitch!" Buffy stopped suddenly when Harmony big boobed bimbo stepped in front of her. Buffy rolled her eyes. _Just great._

"Why hello to you Harmony. How are you?"

"Don't play coy with me. I knew what you were up to the minute I saw you…you little-"

Spike stepped next to Buffy wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close. He gave Harmony a smile. "Spike don't piss off the angry blonde bimbo. She might pull your hair." Buffy warned to him.

Spike glared. "She better not bloody touch my hair."

"Spike!" Harmony was whining now and oh was it annoying. To Buffy it reminded her of getting her teeth drilled. Only she didn't have any pain meds like they were nice enough to give you at the dentists. "Why would you leave me for her?"

"Harmony maybe its because you're the most stupid bint I have come across. Now leave us alone." Spike roared.

"I am not moving until she pays for taking away something that was mine."

You could hear Faith groan on the other side of Buffy. The other girls stood behind Buffy just glaring at Harmony. "Shut up will you? Get over it. My girl B stole your man because you couldn't hold onto him."

"Which means your friend is a….SKANK!" Harmony spit it out.

Buffy's anger rose. She was everything but a skank, whore, or slut. "Harmony I suggest you back off right now before I get really angry." She stepped forward until she was right in Harmony's face.

Harmony raised her hand to slap Buffy. Before it could even connect with her face, Buffy grabbed her wrist and held tightly. Harmony let out a scream. She latched her other hand onto Buffy's hair and pulled. To get her claws out of her hair Buffy let go of her other arm. Giving Harmony the chance to slap Buffy. Buffy's cheek stung and she felt the skin break from being slashed with Harmony's nail. Pressing her hand to her cheek Buffy felt blood slowly seep out of the small cut on her upper cheekbone.

Without stopping Buffy pulled her arm back and punched the bimbo. Harmony stumbled back letting go of Buffy's hair. She fell onto her ass and looked up at Buffy. It was red around her right eye from the punch Buffy landed.

Buffy bent down till she was in Harmony's face again. "I'm going to warn you only once. Do no mess with me….bitch!" Buffy stood up and stepped over Harmony. Feeling her night was ruined she grabbed her coat from the table and stomped out of the club not bothering to say another world.

She stepped into the night and sighed when the cool night air come over her. The skank had the balls to call her one. _Please!_ Buffy didn't hear the door open and close behind her. Feeling someone grab her arm, as a reaction Buffy whipped around and let her other fist fly. She found Spike holding her arm near his head.

"Spike word of advice don't walk up behind a girl who just got into a fight." She disentangled her arm from his grasp. "You might be finding your self with the same black eye Harmony will be getting."

"I can take care of myself pet. Just like you can obviously." He stepped closer to her. "How did you learn to throw a mean punch like that?"

"I'm friends with Faith how do you think." She put her hands on her hips and stared into his eyes. "Besides living in L.A….you got to fight to keep your self alive sometimes."

"Remind me never to piss you off." Spike leant down to kiss her not getting enough of her lips. Their kiss was sweet and gentle just enough to bring her down from her fighting mood. When they broke apart Buffy felt dizzy with glee.

"I think I'm going to head home." She told him.

"Here I'll walk you home because I'm sensing you need the air."

She smiled brightly. "You know me so well already. But didn't you drive here?"

Spike nodded. "Yep but I don't want you walking home alone." He took hold of her hand and they began to walk down the street.

They just walked in silence. Spike reached into the pocket of his leather duster pulling out his pack of cigarettes.

"You know you told me you'd tell me how you came about smoking another time. And, well it's another time."

He gave her a sidelong glance. "Are you sure you want to know?" Buffy shook her yes. "Alright well, my nasty smoking habit as you keep referring to it came about from when I was in jail."


	12. Under the Stars

**Chapter 12: Under the stars **

Buffy stood frozen unable to move. She stared at him trying to process the words in her head. _When I was in jail._ The words seemed to repeat over and over again in her head and for some reason it didn't click. It put too much shock into her.

She had the fishy look on her face, wide eyes, mouth opening and closing. She wanted to ask him a question but the words weren't coming out. Hell even the cut on her cheek stopped stinging. They stood about almost a block away from the Bronze and Buffy could hear the distant thumping of music coming from the club. _The guy that you are on a date with just told you that he went to jail. Ask him about it! Say something!_ Her mind was screaming at her.

Finally, the words fell out of her mouth. "What happened?"

Spike ran his hands through his hair finding it hard to find the right words as well. "It was just over something stupid."

"Well it must have been if you went to jail." Spike gave her a small glare. "So what happened?"

"It's a pretty long story kitten." Spike explained trying to get out of telling it. It really was a long story and he was rather worried she would think differently of him after he told her it.

Buffy looked at her watch. "I have about two hours so I think you have time." Spike looked around as if he was worried someone would overhear him. Stuffing his hands in his duster pocket, Spike began to walk down the street, and silently Buffy followed him.

"I was a geek." Buffy's eyes went wider at his blunt and random statement. She couldn't help but let a laugh. "Shut up you bint. I know it is hard to believe that a sexy many like me was a geek, but I was. I was till I was about 16." Spike seemed to go into a daze as if reliving his past few years. "It all started when I met Drusilla. She was my dark princess." He looked over at Buffy to see the hint of jealousy in her expression leaving Spike feel very happy. "She really changed me. I went from nerd with brown curly hair and glasses who acted like a bloody ponce, to well…who I am now."

Buffy didn't say anything. She was jealous of this _Drusilla_ chick and she had no clue why. She hadn't come across her at school so far or heard about so she must not still be around.

They ended up walking into a gated park with a child's playground in the center of trees that circled around it. Both of them sat down on a bench. Spike spoke on further. "She wasn't right in the head. Always talked about her porcelain dolls and having tea with them, had this one Ms. Edith, ugly little bugger. Claimed the bloody doll would talk to her. Also the whole damn stars. Still the woman had me infatuated with her. I found myself changing for her, doing the things for her the minute she asked them. I drank with her, did the most abnormal sex sessions, fighting, and even over time I started to do illegal things. I got the name Spike from her. After I fought this guy and threatened him with a railroad Spike if he came near Dru again." She still hadn't said anything and Spike was starting to get worried. She just stared at him with a curious look.

"What kind of illegal things did you do?"

Spike sighed and continued. "Just stealing things she wanted and I never even thought twice about it. Then I'd get her drugs for her. I think all the coke she was snorting was causing the psychobabble she was spitting out. Once in a while I'd do it but drugs weren't really my thing." Spike started chuckling and Buffy began to think he was losing it. "Now that I think back on it, I thought I was in love with her. Nope, it was just someone she made me. She could manipulate people so easily it was bloody ridiculous. Hell she even got some guy named Chaos, that went to same bar as we did. After I found out, I didn't even stop to think. I tore at him. Nearly killed him from beating him to a bloody pulp. I would have just gotten arrested and given probation with some anger management classes, but it was the same damn day that I had gone to Dru's dealer to get her drugs. Found them in my pocket and I was charged with battery, bloody coke possession, and underage drinking." Buffy gasped. Spike nodded. "Yep. The hilarious thing is the stupid bint didn't even claim to know me. Kept going on and on how Chaos was her boyfriend and that I just started beating him up."

_That stupid bitch!_ Buffy found herself thinking.

"Anyway since I had never had any criminal record the judge went really easy on me. Just gave me time until I was eighteen plus probation for three years. I got out three months ago. Spent six months in there. Let me tell you, I thought I was a bad ass but, in there…it was bloody different. Wouldn't believe how many times I had to watch my back." It was all out now. Spike stared at her closely wondering what she was thinking. Either she would tell him to stay away from her now, be really turned on by him actually being a bad boy, or she'd shrug it off. Spike hoped for the latter of the three.

Finally, she looked up from her lap and into his eyes. Nothing had changed. Spike knew she didn't care. That it was his past and suddenly he felt rather relieved. "What happened to Drusilla?"

Leaning back against the back of the bench Spike answered, "Don't know. Aunt Jenny told me a month after I was sentenced, Dru's grandmother finally put her foot down, sent her to a rehabilitation center and now I hear she's under the watchful eye of Sunnydale's white coat doctors at the Asylum. Turned out she Schizophrenic plus with the coke it made it much worse. She was sent there because her grandmum died while she was in rehab and it sent her over the edge."

"So is that where you were today? Your probation meeting?" She questioned. Spike just nodded. "It's in the past though, right? You don't do that crap anymore?"

"Pet, no. I gave all that illegal crap up and drinking when I was in jail. The only thing I do now is smoke. I'm done with fighting." Buffy relaxed at the thought of fighting. She had too much violence in her past already and even some in her, she didn't want another aspect of violence. "I would never hit you luv. I'm not that type of man. Besides you or Faith would probably whip my arse if I did."

"I know." Buffy smiled and Spike relaxed then. He pulled her close into his arms and hugged her little body to his. She didn't tense up, just seemed to relax and melt in his arms.

"So you don't think I'm horrible?" Spike asked seeming shy in an instant.

Buffy shook her head. "Can't really judge when I myself have been arrested." Spike raised his eyebrows. "Fight. I got arrested but charges were dropped. Though that one night in jail was enough to scare the crap out of me."

Looking down at her into her eyes Spike too felt like jell-o. Here this golden goddess was, the complete opposite of Drusilla, and he felt like he was falling in love. He wanted to protect her from what ever had happened to her and keep her safe in his arms forever.

Buffy gasped when her and Spike's eyes met. Wrapping her hand around the nape his neck, she pulled him down to kiss her lips. He urgently began to kiss her back, taking the lead of their kiss. Slowly he leant her on her back so she laid across the bench with him slightly over her. Neither caring that they were in a public place and that some elderly couple could come by on a night stroll. Their kisses turned urgent. Again Buffy was getting lost in his kisses and she was throwing all her thoughts out the window.

Spike smiled when he kissed her neck he was received with a soft moan. He had found a sensitive spot. He gave gentle kisses on her neck just below her neck, feeling her began to shiver beneath him.

"Spike…" Her sentence was cut off by another moan. "Spike please."

Stopping his kisses, he sat up and let her sit up as well. He watched as she fixed her dress and straightened out her hair.

"I'm sorry pet."

"No it's fine. I just think that were…well…" Spike looked at her intriguingly a smirk on his lips leaving Buffy at loss of words. "Don't you think…that were moving too fast? I mean we just met five days ago-"

Understanding at what she was trying to get out Spike put a finger to her lips. "Pet I understand. Don't worry we'll take things slow."

Buffy smiled her thanks Happy that he was understanding.

"Why don't we just stay here and look at the stars?" He suggested. Buffy nodded and again they got up to walk over to the clear grass. Spike laid down his duster and sat on it leaving room for her to follow. Pulling off her own jacket so it could cover them, Buffy laid down next to Spike and curled into him resting her head on his chest. Both of them looked up at the stars enjoying the clear cloudless night.

"When I was little I use to sit out with my mom and Dawnie after my dad left and she'd show us the constellations." Buffy confided in him. He could hear the sad tone in her voice at the mention of her mother but still happy at the memories she had of her. He knew she missed her mother just as she did. However, like each other they had wonderful family to still take care of them even after some of the things they did. "I use to think they were so cool. I still think their beautiful."

"There's something else more beautiful." Spike said. Buffy looked at him with a doubtful look in her eyes. "It's you." Buffy couldn't help but blush at his compliment but still rolled her eyes at the cheesiness of it.

They stayed that way lightly dozing off under the stars.

"PET!" Spike shook her lightly trying to wake her. She had her head resting on his chest still fast asleep. "Buffy love, we got to get you home before your guardian skins me alive." Slowly Buffy's eyes opened.

"Give me five more minutes." The blonde murmured half asleep. Lifting up her arm, Spike observed her wrist. It was covered in a wide band of leather that was snapped to make a cuff like bracelet. He was tempted to take it off, see if his accusations of her song were true but fought against it. If there was anything she was hiding, in due time she would tell him. Instead, Spike looked at the watch that adorned the same arm.

"Buffy, it's one-thirty." Her eyes snapped open and sat up like a rocket seemingly wide awake.

"SHIT!" Buffy jumped up to stand and pulled her jacket on. "We told Giles we'd be home by one. Fuck I totally forgot about Faith." Spike got up and threw on his duster.

They quickly ran out of the park and back towards the Bronze to retrieve his car. Finally ten minutes later they pulled up in front of her house to see that no lights were on. Buffy hoped Giles had been in bed for the past couple hours and that Faith had already gotten home.

"I think I better sneak in through the window. Just incase." Buffy told him. Spike gave her an uneasy look at the thought of her having to climb a tree. "I'll be fine. I've gone through higher." She leaned forward and gave him a kiss that was sweet enough to make Spike feel like he would need to go to the dentist.

"Make sure you clean up that cut." He said referring to the small cut on her cheek that Harmony had lashed out on her. "Goodnight pet." He called after her. She gave him a small wave before closing the door and jogging up across the yard to the large oak tree in front of her bedroom window.

Buffy thanked the heavens that she had left the window latch unlocked and climbed in. She stared out the window and smiled to see Spike hadn't pulled away yet. Seeing him wave from the car, Buffy again waved. Finally, he pulled away and Buffy turned around.

"HELLO!" A loud whisper came from the other side of her room. Buffy jumped up and nearly shrieked when she heard the voice and thought it was Giles. Dawn, her now annoying little sister walked out of the shadows smiling like she had just seen the first comment come across the sky.

"Dawn!" Buffy yelled in the same loud whisper. "What are you doing?"

"Making sure you got your ass home on time. Don't worry Giles went to bed like two hours ago."

Buffy sighed out a relief. "Is Faith back?" Dawn shook her head no.

"I thought she was with you."

The older sister began to tell her the events of her night, how she had gotten in the fight with Harmony the bimbo, how Spike had told her his past (Which left Dawn thinking he was even more cooler), and how they had fallen asleep under the stars. Only leaving out the parts of where her and Spike had practically had sex on the dance floor and made out on the park bench. Dawn gave her the smile that she only used on the romance movies that she insisted on watching.

"I better call Faith." Dawn nodded and sat down on Buffy's bed watching as her sister called Faith on her cell phone. "No answer." She said a round of rings later. "I really hope she's okay."

She sat moved to change into her pajamas and then sat down next to Dawn on the bed, where they both sat cross-legged across from each other, with Buffy having Mr. Gordo in her lap.

"Didn't you say she met one of Spike's friends at the Bronze?"

Buffy nodded after all figuring Faith and him and probably continued to flirt until they went to his house or some other remote place and doing what Faith always did.

Abruptly the window slid open making both sisters jump and in slid Faith. Her halter was slightly rumpled and the right part of her hair was askew. She noticed both the girls were up.

"Where have you been?" Buffy asked. The blonde leaned over and covered Dawn's ears knowing Faith might say something inappropriate.

"Riding the guy Devon as if he was a stallion." And Buffy was right. Buffy rolled her eyes. Taking her hands away from her little sister's ears, she ignored the glare Dawn was shooting at her.

Buffy began to tell what Dawn had said to her earlier about Giles going to bed and how her own nice Pg-13 night had gone after she had left the club with Spike following her, this time leaving out what Spike had told him. Faith gave her a wicked smile.

"Well I'm going to bed. Night you guys!" Dawn hopped up and walked to her room.

"Night Dawnie."

"Sleep tight kid." Faith left the room to change and came back with the first aid kit. Replacing Dawn's place, she took out a q-tip and dipped it in a little bottle of hydrogen peroxide. As she began to clean Buffy's little cut, with very little whining from the blonde, Faith listened attentively as Buffy began to tell her about Spike.

"Well he's a lot different from you know who." Faith pointed out when she had finished. She added a layer of Neosporin to her cut to make sure it wouldn't scar. Buffy nodded in agreement.

"I really like him Faith." Buffy whispered looking down at her hands in her lap. Faith closed the lid of the first aid kit with a snap.

"I know. He likes you too." Buffy looked at her best friend curiously. "I had my talk with him while you were in the bathroom." She got up and began to walk out of the bedroom.

"FAITH!" Buffy screamed after her enraged. Though the brunette ignored it and walked into her own bedroom ready for sleep.


	13. Shoppage

**Chapter 13: Shoppage**

Buffy awoke slowly. The sun shined in through her window and the birds that had awoken her could be heard chirping outside in the tree. Buffy stretched languidly, making sure that every muscle was awake.

It had been a long time since she had woken up gently and without a nightmare through out the night. She pushed the comforter off her and padded over to the window to look outside. The blonde smiled when she spotted the exact spot of where Spike's car had been the night before. Remembering all the nights' events and the gentleness Spike seemed to have hidden under his edgy personality. Buffy believed that the geek part of him was still very much alive within Spike, just hidden.

_Well he's a lot different then you know who._ Faith's words from last night rung her ears and Buffy couldn't agree more. The dark shadow that seemed to linger above her was far the opposite from Spike. Not wanting to upset herself Buffy shook the thoughts of her past away from her head. Buffy walked around her room observing everything as if she was seeing them for the first time. Buffy spotted a picture on her bulletin board above her desk, that she forgot she had. Walking over and taking it from it's hold with the pushpin Buffy looked over the picture and smiled.

It was Faith and her, and they had already begun their freshman year the month before the picture had been taken. Buffy had a bloody lip and Faith had a nose that was just about seeping out the same amount of blood as Buffy's lip. Both their arms were crossed and around the others shoulders. The smile on their faces showed how proud they were. They had gotten into a fight with a bunch of freshman boys on their way home for after seeing the group of boys picking on an innocent little seventh grade girl. Buffy smiled at remembering that day

_**Los Angeles 1994**___

"Hey sixth grader! Are you going to go cry to your mother? Be little baby seventh grader that you are and going to go cry to your mommy?" The freshmen boy shoved the young little blonde girl so she fell forward. Her hands burned as they scraped against the dry and rocky dirt. She felt her dress tear at the knee, the new dress her daddy had bought for her. The little girl didn'r cry out until another boy poked her hard in the cheek.

"Leave me alone you buttheads!" She tried to get up but was pushed back down when the boy who poked her held her down by the back with his foot.

"What did you call us?" He never got his answer because two very pissed off girls from their grade stepped up.

"Hey what the heck are you doing?" The blonde one yelled. David, the one holding down the sixth grade girl, recognized the blonde girl from his morning class. She sat in the back with the brunette that stood next to her. He remembered her name was Buffy. David and his friends thought she was a real freak. Who in the hell had red streaks in their hair? Her friend was equally as freaky.

"Go away you freaks." David barked at them. He didn't let up on his foot from the girl. No way was he going to let some two freaks who were probably lesbians ruin him and his friends bullying. The brunette seemed to get rather angry. Before he knew it, David found the front of his body pushed up against the wooden fence that was near them. His cheek was smushed against the wood and he could feel splinters pushing into his skin. The brunette girl held him firmly. Every time he struggled, she pushed him against the wood more.

"Run!" She yelled at the sixth grader. The girl got up and stared at the two girls who helped her, tears still running down her cheeks.

"Thank you." She whispered out. Not a second later she darted away with her book bag trailing after her. One of David's friends began to chase after her but Buffy grasped the collar of his and pulled him back roughly. He fell backwards onto the ground. Two of the others each ran to Buffy and Faith intent on punching them. And the fight began.  


In the end the boys had come out of it a lot worse then both girls put together. A police officer driving by had broken up the fight. When Buffy and Faith had showed up on the doorstep to their home with the officer grasping them on their shoulders, Giles just shook his head. After scolding them for almost a minute about how it wasn't right to fight Giles had just smiled. He didn't care. They had a caring heart and they showed that by stopping the boys from hurting the little girl any further. He had taken the picture of them and had just laughed.

Buffy chuckled putting the picture back in it's place on the bulletin board. She heard her phone ringing and quickly answered it.

"Hello?" She greeted.

"Ello kitten. I didn't wake you did I?" Spike's voice heard from the other end of the phone. Buffy couldn't hold the big grin on her face from breaking out.

"No I woke up a few minutes ago."

"Ok, good. I had a lot of fun last night." His voice purred into her ear. Buffy blushed.

"I did too."

"I'm glad…are you doing anything today kitten?"Buffy looked into her mental date book. She didn't have anything planned. She told him no. "Well was wondering if you would want to go to the mall with me. I have to pick out a gift for my Aunt Jenny and was thinking I could use your wonderful girl perspective. If you want you can bring along your sis and mate."

"Sure!" Buffy squeaked out. She cursed herself for the lack of coolness her voice held.

"Okay, pet it's a date. I'll pick you up in an hour."

They both said goodbye and when Buffy hung up she fell back onto her bed and let out of a scream while kicking her legs up. She grabbed Mr. Gordo and kissed the stuffed pig on the nose.

She got up and began to dance wildly. A minute later, all three members of her family came running in. Buffy stopped when she noticed the look of concern on their faces, they seemed to be out of breath.

"I do believe she wasn't having a nightmare." Giles said stating the obvious.

Faith looked up at her smart uncle. "What gave it away uncle-g?"

"He asked me out shopping after saying he had a great time last night. He wants me to help him pick out a gift for his aunt. And he invited you two as well." Buffy said excitedly. Dawn smiled at the obvious seen happiness of her big sister. She went back to her room intent on getting ready. Faith growled and slugged back to her room still tired from last night.

"It's too God damn early for shit." She moaned out and slamming the door shut that connected to her and Buffy's room. Buffy grabbed her robe and began to walk to the bathroom before Giles could protest for her going with Spike.

"Well what does your aunt like?" Buffy questioned Spike as the four of them walked through the mall. It wasn't that busy for it being Saturday.

"She likes a lot of things. Anything that's artsy." Spike told her. His arm was wrapped around her waist showing off to the world…well the mall, that this girl belonged to him.

It had been two hours and so far, they had endured shopping of all kinds. Buffy carried three bags two filled with clothes and accessories and the third held her new pair of spiked heel boots.

Dawn watched the blonde couple with interest her eyes showing that she believed that what the two were doing was beyond romantic. She smiled wider when Spike took two of her bags to carry for her. Faith elbowed Dawn pointing out what he had done. They walked a few paces behind the two blondes but still keeping up.

"I saw an art store on the way to the other side of the mall." Faith pointed out. Finally, they decided they would go there to check it out.

"FAITH!" Faith turned her head at hearing her name being called and found Devon jogging up to her and the group. She smirked at the obvious love struck teenager.

"Hey sexy." She leaned up and gave him a kiss when he came up to them, shocking Buffy. It wasn't like Faith to even acknowledge guys that she had already had "fun" with. Usually she was wham-bam one nightstand kind of girl.

"Hey." Devon waved to Buffy and Spike. "Hey man." Spike and Devon did the manly guy hand shake.

Dawn figuring that Faith was probably going to go and head off with this guy, she decided she'd might go do some shopping on her own. "Hey Buffy, I'm going to go check out the upper level." Buffy's obvious look of uneasiness at the fact of Dawn walking alone came to surface. Before her sister could protest, Dawn spoke up. "Don't worry I'm fourteen years old. I know not to go off talking to strangers. I'm a big kid." Dawn stressed the fact that she was old enough to take of herself.

Buffy nodded knowing it was useless to argue with Dawn. She had the same stubborn streak that she had. Buffy pulled out her cell phone and handed it to Dawn. "Spike's number is in there so just call us if anything happens." Buffy told her giving Dawn a serious look. Dawn just nodded and took her sister's cell phone, before waving goodbye and running off.

Buffy looked to Faith to find her and Devon whispering something to each other. Clearing her throat Buffy raised her eyebrow at her best friend when Faith looked at her.

"I and Devon are going to go off and buy something for his aunt too." Faith said with the plain view lie. Before another a word could be said, Faith pulled Devon by the arm leaving the blonde couple alone to themselves finally. Buffy laughed and turned to wrap her arms around Spike. He kissed the top of her head. They began to walk in the direction of the art store.

"Seems my mate and your mate are getting along rather well." Spike pointed out.

Buffy nodded her head. "I know. Faith told me last night after I got back." She began to tell Spike of what Faith had told her and Spike could not help but laugh. He was right about Faith she was a wild one. Buffy even told him about some of things that Faith had done when they had lived in L.A. stopping when they came to the art store.

The store was small but had rather beautiful things. The walls were covered with different size of frames with different types of art. On the floor of the store stood statues.

"My mother would love this place." Buffy spoke out admiring the store.

"Really?" Spike asked and Buffy nodded.

"She had an art gallery she owned in L.A. It was great! Most of the nights me and Faith would help and pretend to be little waitresses serving the little appetizers during the showings of artists. That's how I started liking art and painting."

"What happened to the gallery?" Spike asked knowing her mother had died.

"A family friend is running it. It was given to Giles and it will be mine when I turn 18. But I don't know if I want it. I haven't been in there since after my mother's funeral because it reminds me too much of her." She wiped at her eyes pushing the tears away that were threatening to spill over. Spike pulled her into his arms whispering reassuring words to her.

"May I help you?" A clerk came up to them and smiled. Spike smiled back at the older woman. Still holding Buffy to him Spike spoke what he was looking for.

"Well we just received something today. By what you're telling me of the person your looking for the gift of I think they might like this." The woman led Buffy and Spike towards the back of the store. She went through the employee's only door and came back out with a box. "It's an antique paint set from the 1800's owned by an English lord." She walked over and placed it on the counter.

It was a small luggage type wooden box with intricate ivy designs etched into the wood. On the front was a clasp that held the lid and the box together. The clerk undid the clasp and unfolded the box open showing different containers of paint, with beautiful brushes.

"Ms. Calendar would love that. You said she loves antiques, and she loves art and this gift is both of them put together." Buffy looked up at Spike to see him nod his head in agreement.

"I'll take it." Spike told the clerk.

The clerk smiled and she began to ring up the paint set. Five minutes later, they came out of the shop with Aunt Jenny's wrapped gift. For another hour, they were shopped. Buffy bought Faith a birthday gift since her best friend's birthday was in a couple weeks. Finally, they decided it was best to round up Faith and Dawn. Taking Spike's phone, she dialed her own number.

"She didn't answer?" Spike asked when Buffy hung up the phone. Buffy shook her head. They both sat down and Buffy dialed Faith's number.

"Yo!" Faith yelled when she answered the phone.

"Hey Faithey. Where are you?"

A loud moan could be heard in the back round on Faith's end of the line. Buffy scrunched up her nose. "Gross Faith!"

"What….oh yeah well it's your fault your calling while I play."

"Just finish up and get your ass over to where we split up in ten minutes." Buffy said feeling queasy. "Gross!" She hung up the phone. She heard Spike chuckling and she turned to glare at him. "Shut up." He had heard the moaning coming from the phone. She punched his arm. He silenced grabbed her arm and pulled her too him, kissing her passionately. Pulling away, he left her feeling spastic. She couldn't help but blush when a couple with two kids walked by showing their look of disapproval at their public display. Deciding it was best that she call Dawn again Buffy pulled out the phone again.

Dialing and two rings later Dawn answered. "Finally. Where were you?"

"I was uh…trying on clothes."

"Figured. Hey come back to where we were, were going to leave in a bit."

"Alright. But if I walk up on too much PDA you owe me five bucks."

Buffy walked into her room and dropped her bags on the floor. Spike walked in after her. She smiled and walked over to kiss him lightly.

Giles hadn't been home when the four came back. He had left a note saying he went to work on something's at the library and he'd be back by five. It was two now, meaning her and Spike had three hours alone. Faith was currently blasting her music in her own room and Dawn had just left again to go to a girl named Janice's house that she had made friends with at school.

Their kiss became deeper and Spike wrapped her up in his arms. He moved to place his tongue over her lips, them just lightly.

Buffy had never been kissed like this and it was driving her nuts. He would go soft and slow to hard and passionate leaving her breathless countless times. She moved her hands to intertwine into his black cotton t-shirt feeling his chest muscles through the fabric under her hands. Moving his kisses along her jaw and down into the hallow of her neck, Spike nipped at her neck softly.  
She let out a moan and pulled them a little closer to the bed. It was just a simple make-out session; they had made that very clear on their way up the stairs. She remembered that thought when he placed his hands on the small of her back and began lifting her shirt up to put his hands on her skin. Her alarm bells began to ring in her head. His hands began to roam higher up and before they could go any higher, she pushed away from Spike.

Everything came back that happened to her a year and a half ago at full speed. She turned away from him not wanting him to see her.

Spike observed her, hearing her sobs. He didn't understand. Suddenly as if the light bulb finally went off, he remembered how she had acted when he touched her back the day she came over. How her mood had changed. That confirmed with how she was acting now, Spike guessed something in his head. Spike walked up to stand behind her and slowly he moved his fingers to lightly run over her back. She let out a louder cry of anguish.

"NO!"

Buffy moved away from him to sit at the window bench.

"Buffy, pet, what happened to you?"

Minutes went by before she would say anything. The afternoon sun seeped through the window onto her face giving her a soft glow. To Spike she looked like a fallen angel that just needed to get back up.

"It was him…the man with darkness hidden by an angelic face." She was speaking in riddles now. "I left Los Angeles because of him…but no matter what I can't seem to escape what he did to me."


	14. Scarred Beyond Belief

**Chapter 14: Scarred Beyond Belief**

"But no matter what I can't seem to escape what he did to me." Her last few words were spoken in a soft whisper, so soft that Spike leaned forward to hear it. He observed her as she pulled her legs up to her chest just as she had the first time he was in this room.

The afternoon sun shined in through the window and onto her face, giving her a soft glow. The little cut on her cheek was covered by strands of hair that fell from her hair clip. The way she was right now, all still as if frozen in time, reminded him of a painting he had seen his aunt paint a year after he first began living with her. It was of an angel with tattered wings looking up into the heavens. And, that's what Buffy reminded him of right now. A fallen angel who just couldn't seem to get up.

Already Spike wanted to beat the shit out of this monster for what he had put his kitten through and he didn't even know what had occurred yet. Wanting to know, but figuring pushing her to tell wasn't going to help, Spike waited patiently.

She went back to staring out the window and the bleached bad boy could tell she was struggling to find the right words. How could she tell him all that had happened to her. Fearing the he would treat her differently is what kept her silent.

"I had just turned sixteen when I met him. I remember as if it were yesterday because since that day my life seemed to turn upside down..."

_**L.A. January 1997, A Club Called Sizzle**___

Buffy danced her little heart out putting on the show to lure in what ever caught their eye of her. Placing her hands above her head, the little blonde girl who had just turned sixteen the day before, gyrated her hips against Faith Giles, her best friend. They were currently in the new club Sizzle that only allowed anyone over the age of sixteen to enter. Seeing as it had it been her birthday the night before, Buffy and Faith decided to celebrate in their own way rather than the nice family dinner that had taken place last night.

Like always, men flocked around the brunette and blonde duo trying to get in on the action. Trying to get a feel for both girls. Buffy and Faith smiled at each other before turning their heads to guys that stood behind them.

The music pulsed through out the club, some electro techno music that you would hear at raves. Strobe lights, and even a lightened dance floor beneath their feet seemed to stimulate all of Buffy's senses leaving her on some kind of high. The body heat that everyone projected and added together made her sweat. The name of the club, Sizzle, seemed to fit perfectly. This place was making her feel like was on fire. This was wonderful. The usual haunts that her and Faith had been going to had gotten boring. Now it was time to live out what the new L.A. scene was projecting onto their culture.

Giles had at first objected to them attending Sizzle, saying that it wasn't fit for them to go to especially since they were only sixteen. Though Faith and Buffy, who seemed to have him wrapped around their fingers quickly got him to change his mind.

Buffy danced faster staying with the beat. Feeling the hairs on her neck stand up, Buffy sensed someone was watching her. She discreetly looked around the club checking to see if anyone was obvious staring, but to no avail she found no one. The blonde turned her focused back on dancing, but in the back of her mind she still thought she was being watched. The songs changed and Buffy felt like it was time for a break. She signaled to Faith that she was going for a water break and left the dance floor heading to the bar.

She stepped up to the crowded bar and signaled to the bar tender. He came up to her and asked her if he could see some I.D. Buffy flashed him the back of her hand showing the stamp that said, 'Underage' and quickly ordered a bottle of water. She leant against the bar waiting for her order when she spotted him.

He stood at the other end of the bar and was completely staring at her. Buffy gasped and looked away but could still feel his eyes on her. _**He was totally cute!**__ Buffy's mind screamed. She peeked back at him to find him still staring at her with a smile on his lips that made her melt. It was a smile between a boyish and manly smile. The bartender came back, interrupting her good stare at the cute brunette across the bar. Paying for her water, she turned so her back was against the edge of the bar, unscrewed the cap and chugged down a huge gulp of water._

When she looked up, to Buffy's shock the man who had been staring at her was now standing right in front of her. He was a good almost two feet taller than her, his large muscular body hovering over her small petite frame. His brown hair was spiked up and he matching boyish brown eyes. _**He reminds me of an angel**__ Buffy stupidly thought as she took in his features._

"Hi I'm Angel. Angel Wilkins." He held out his large hand to her to shake. Buffy giggled inside at the irony of his name and what she thought. Taking his hand she introduced herself.

"Buffy Summers."

"I couldn't help but admire you and your beauty." Angel complimented. Buffy blushed which was rather unusual from her. Usually if a guy fed her that line she'd be rolling her eyes and tell the idiot to find some more original lines of his own. Though she didn't, she graciously accepted his compliment.

"Why thank you."

Before long Buffy Summers and Angel Wilkins sat down at the bar and began chatting and aimlessly flirting.

**Present Day**

"...He was the mayor's son and he was twenty. He was a junior at UCLA. By the end of night I gave him my number. He called we went out, and had a relationship for almost year." Buffy finished her sentence and broke her stare away from the window. She was worried to look at Spike knowing he'd be seething with some kind of anger. And she was right. The jealousy was evident on her face. Sighing, Buffy sadly thought, _And the story's not even over with._

Spike didn't say anything he just sat on her bed across from her with his mouth shut, his jaw clenched closed. This Angel guy sure sounded like a real 'ponce'. An obvious pervert as well for picking up sixteen year old Buffy when he was four years her senior and she was obvious jail bait for him. Though he didn't say anything. He just sat there and listened as she continued talking.

"It was really nice. The relationship. He was always so kind and caring and he didn't push me into anything. Which I worried he would when we first started dating, seeing as he was a college guy." Buffy said thoughtlessly.

Understanding, Spike nodded. "But things changed?" Buffy just nodded a new wave of tears. Spike wanted to go over to her and wrap her into her arms but decided that it would just probably set her off into possible hysterics.

"He started urging me to do things. You know little things like fooling around. But I said I wasn't comfortable with it. And, whenever the matter was brought up and I said that we'd drop it right there until it was brought up again." She leaned her chin to rest on her knees. "Then Faith stepped in. She had her 'sister talk' with him. Telling him that he better lay off on the sexual acts or she'd be sure he did her way." Spike thought back to the talk that Faith had given him and now understood why. She saw Faith in a newer light. The wild brunette had a different side to her like they all seemed to have. Faith had the side of a caring and very protective side to her, willing to lash out if someone so much as even made her sister like friend upset. "That's when things got bad. I don't blame Faith for what happened next or afterwards because it wasn't her fault. Though Angel was really angry that I had talked to Faith about our relationship. One night when I was at his dorm we were just...making out." Buffy let out, feeling rather uneasy that she was telling this to Spike. "When he tried to get me to do other things and I said no and he got annoyed. He..." Buffy trailed off and she couldn't bring herself to say it.

"He raped you." Spike said. Buffy shook her head.

"Angel tried and he failed." The blonde gave him a sad but still very serious stare.

_**1997, December. L.A. Angel's dorm room**___

Buffy laid under Angel kissing him lightly. She wrapped her arms around his neck tighter pulling him against her a little more.

Suddenly she felt his hands move down from her cheek over her breasts and to the top of her leather pants. He fumbled to unbutton the top of her pants but she stopped him. Breaking away from kissing him and placing her hand at the button, Buffy halted his actions. _**Too fast. Too soon.**__ She told herself composing herself again._

"Angel please I'm not ready for that step in our relationship." She told him softly.

His gentle angelic look changed immediately and he changed to almost a devil's type of expression with an annoyed look evident in his eyes. "Well when are you going to be ready? We've been dating for almost a year."

Buffy shrugged trying to play it cool that his anger was starting to frighten her. "I don't know. I'm just not ready for that. I thought you understood that." She sat up on her elbows and looked at him with a glare.

"Well you seem to be ready to go telling Faith about our relationship huh?" He accused. "She came to me and told me to lay off as if I was the bad guy." She noticed Angel was getting annoyed and angrier by each word he spoke. "You know I don't even need this shit. I have plenty of girls that could be willing to lay in my bed to screw rather than do some high school making out type of shit." He spat out to her.

Buffy's eyes flashed with her own anger. "Well if that's the case then why don't you just go and screw them." She made a move to get up from the bed but Angel pushed her back down so she again laid under him.

"NO! I will have you."

Fright instantly showed into her eyes and she tried to push him off of her. "ANGEL GET OFF!" She screamed at him. But he didn't move an inch. His hands moved to rip away her top and it tore off her as if it were made of tissue paper. She let out a scream hoping that maybe one of his dorm neighbors could come in and save her. Though her screams were covered by the loud blasting music that he had reached over to turn on to muffle her screams.

As she tried desperately to push him off, she realized that her greatest fear was coming true. The fear of being raped and defiled as if she meant nothing. Her little hands beat at his large chest but it was no use. She screamed and screamed trying to get him off her. She didn't know how many times yelled and pleaded no before her pants were pulled off of her.

Seeing an opportunity to run, Buffy got up but he again slammed her back against the mattress of the bed. She sobbed out feeling the wind get knocked out of her. _**NO!**__ As each second went by she felt herself getting more and more abandoned by the world._

How had she not seen this side of him. He always seemed so caring and gentle around her but now it was as if he was a different person. Like a monster had taken over his body and that really this wasn't her Angel.

He had just pushed her legs apart and readied himself but Buffy wasn't going to stop fighting she clawed at his face but sadly he pinned her arms down. She let out the loudest scream, hoping it would float over the blasting music and to someone's ears.

It seemed God was listening to her prayers because before he could complete take her, Angel was ripped from her on top of her and thrown to the ground. She looked up to see her rescuer was and found it was Graham, Angel's roommate. Feeling the sudden need to cry Buffy burst into tears at the fact that she was finally safe.

Turning away to not see what Graham was doing to Angel, Buffy curled into a ball and wept. She heard the pounding of flesh over the music but that didn't stop her tears. Minutes later the music was shut off and the silence filled the room, the only sound was Buffy's sobs.

"Buffy...?" She heard Graham say from behind her. The blonde was afraid to look, to see what had happened as she cried. "Buffy do you want me to call security?"

"NO!" She screamed out. She couldn't deal with being questioned. With having to watch him being taken away in handcuffs. She just wanted to get over it and fast.

"Ok...do you want me to take you home?" He asked her understanding she didn't want to cause anymore trouble. She nodded her head. Hearing Graham move around the room looking for what was left of her clothes. Quietly he slipped her the leather pants and underwear. As she dressed he tried to see anything as he moved across he room to grab one of his shirts for her. When she was finished dressing all Buffy wanted to do was get home, shower and sleep.

Buffy looked at the ground an unconscious Angel at her feet of where she stood. His lip was already swelling and Buffy just couldn't keep looking at him. She turned away disgusted. Silently her and Graham walked out of the dorm, soon the hall, and it seemed like pass had been going at warp speed because she soon found herself in front of her home. Faith was standing outside on the porch with Giles both looking really worried; Buffy guessed Graham had called them on their way here and she hadn't even noticed.

She gave Graham a look of deep thanks and pulled herself out of the car. She trudged across the lawn, feeling empty and dirty. When she came up to Faith she just looked at her friend with eyes that scream, 'Just save me'. Images of what had happened in the dorm between her and Angel kept flashing in her mind. Before she could fall to the ground both Giles and Faith caught her. Finally feeling real safety Buffy wept like she had never before.

"The biggest mistake I've ever made was not pressing charges against him. If I had maybe what happened next wouldn't have happened."

Spike stared at Buffy shocked, disgusted with his own kind known as men. The feeling in his stomach got worse when she said _If I had maybe what happened next wouldn't have happened_ The pain brought to her wasn't over?

"Pet what happened next?" He asked in a grave tone.

"Two weeks went by and he didn't seem to show up. I was getting better. The first few nights I wouldn't eat and I wouldn't go to school. I kept having nightmares and by the end of the first week I had both Dawn and Faith sleeping in the same bed with me to make me feel safe. I was walking home from school one day alone because Faith had gotten detention when he pulled up. He tried to get me talk to him, take a ride with him, but I said no and I finally ran away. But somehow caught up with me." She took a deep breath not wanting to tell what happened next. "He threw me into his car and knocked me out. When I woke up I was in some kind of warehouse or something. I knew we were on the docks because I could hear the ocean and the seagulls. He had me tied up and God...I felt so trapped again. I never thought that this could ever happen. That what he did to me was only for those stupid psycho movies."

Spike moved next to her slowly in order not to scare her and his look seemed to be scared. Scared of what she was going to say next. "What did he do to you Buffy?" Her face was buried in the crook of her knees. At his question Buffy looked up at him with pools of tears in her eyes. The look on her face broke his heart but before he could reach her out to take her into his arms she got up and stomped over to a standing canvas that was covered with a sheet. She flung the sheet off with the flick of her wrist and the canvas revealed to be a painting. Spike got up and walked over to stand behind her and what he saw made him gasp.

The whole canvas was black except for the middle of the canvas. A girl sat huddled just like Buffy had been a minute ago, naked and with her back to the viewer. A spotlight affect made it look like a light was shining down from Heaven onto the girl. 'Her' blonde hair was covering her face and all that peaked out and that you could see of her face were her eyes. It held the same greenness as Buffy's. The whole painting held the same feelings and aspects and feelings that Buffy had described her when Angel had nearly attacked her. Lonely. Abandoned. Lost. Vulnerable. All feelings he never wanted Buffy to ever feel again. What shocked him and brought horror to his mind next was the fact that there was a thin bleeding wound that started at the middle of her back and lead down all the way to the top of her buttocks.

As if to silently answer his question Spike reached out again to Buffy's back. She didn't stop him or cry out as he raised the back of her silk black top. He could hear her sobbing as he revealed the same wound, only now a scar on her back as it was on the girl in the painting. Exact spot. Exact length. Leading from the middle of her back all the way to be covered at the bottom by her pants. He reached out with his other hand and traced the scar, his mouth open from shock.

"He tortured you." Spike whispered out feeling his own tears. Buffys head nodded.

"Angel didn't have to rape me. He did much worse than that. He gave me a scar." She fell to the ground and Spike kneeled down to finally take her into his arms. She felt weak so suddenly in his arms.

All that Angel had done hadn't been as bad as when he taken the long blade and sliced the flesh on her back. He beat her, cut her on her arms lightly though the scar he now made on her back was the worst. Hiding it so she wouldn't see it everyday but still know it was there. That was torture for her. "Faith was the one to find me..."

_Faith walked down the street in the direction of her house completely wiped. The brunette hoped that Buffy was home and fast asleep to get rest. Since her ordeal with Angel two weeks ago, Faith still worried._

Her best friend had cut back on food, had nightmares, and Faith found Buffy countless times just staring out at nothing. Faith was sure if she saw Angel now he probably wouldn't be going home to his family but in a body bag.  
Faith turned up the walkway to her home but stopped when she found a heap of something unknown on the porch right in front of the door. Seeing it moving Faith broke into a run. She stopped and turned away on the verge of throwing up.

Her best friend laid on the porch as if just dropped there bruised, battered, and bloody. Her clothes were torn, her hair matted in blood and Faith could no longer tell the difference between her red streaks and the blood. Buffy's hands were completely bloody and she reached out to Faith with one of them, tears of pain streaming down her face.

Faith fell to her knees her own tears staining her cheeks. She carefully pulled her Buffy's head into her lap and pushed back her bloody hair. Her golden hair that was covered in blood. The brunette let a scream of anguish as if feeling Buffy's pain. It wasn't a scream of horror or fright. The only thing that could be heard in the neighborhood was Faith's scream of sorrow.

"Faithey..." Buffy whispered out. She gasped for breath.

"Shhh Buffy were going to get you help I promise you! Just hold on okay..." Buffy nodded her head in understanding. Not caring that her hands were bloody Faith slipped her hand into Buffy's.

Giles pulled up into the driveway and seeing on the porch he charged out the car and ran to his niece and charge.

"Uncle Giles. Help!"

"Angel was arrested two days later. I was still in the hospital when his case was arraigned. He made bail and decided to make the mistake of visiting Faith at school. When she saw him she tore at him. Beat him worse then what Graham had done to him. This time size didn't matter. That's why the school expelled her." She leaned into Spike her tears finally coming to an end. Spike rubbed her arms and pulled her closer. "The doctors said the scar will soon go away over time. That I can get plastic surgery to remove it if I really wanted to."

"What happened to Angel?" Spike spit out hoping the bloody bastard got killed.

"Five years in prison." _Not enough!_ Spike thought. He took her hand that held the leather wristband and unsnapped it. A scar was over her wrist and Spike didn't have to question. This wasn't intentionally caused by Angel but the bastard might as well of put it there himself. "Two months after it all occurred I still kept having nightmares and they wouldn't stop. I kept worrying that he'd somehow show up just like he had that one day. I couldn't take it anymore. I tried and I failed. Only ended up in hospital but this time on suicide watch."

She looked up at Spike, both having cried their eyes out. Spike just leant down and kissed her gently. "I'm so sorry kitten." He hugged her to him. "I promise I will never hurt you. Never like him."

Her eyes showed that she believed him. "I know. Your nothing like him. Your perfect." She leaned her forhead against his. They shared another kiss before he picked her up and placed her on the bed. He laid behind her gently spooning her into his arms. "Can we just rest now?" She asked softly. Spike stroked her hair and kissed it gently.

"Yeah kitten we can rest."

They fell asleep in each others arms just like they had the night before under the stars. Buffy slept easier like she had the past night knowing she was safe in the arms of a caring man.

Spike awoke two hours later when the door of Buffy's room opened, Buffy still fast asleep. Giles stepped in and before he could say anything to Spike, Faith walked in. She put a hand on her uncle's arm and shook her head.

"She told him." Was all Faith said and she left.

Giles finally understood it. The young British rebel was there protecting Buffy and making her feel safe and the older man finally had a newfound respect for Spike. "If you hurt her I will track you down. I didn't get my nickname Ripper for nothing." Giles said to him referring to his old high school nickname. Spike just nodded . Giles left and closed the door leaving the two blondes to rest.

Spike moved to inhale Buffy's scent. _Vanilla._ He closed his eyes intent on going back to sleep with Giles words still in his head. He had a feeling he was going to be getting that a lot when it concerned Buffy.


End file.
